I need a Vacation from Vacation
by Hutcha
Summary: Bella's last day at work before shes leaves for vacation turns out to be better than expected. Vacation all of a sudden isn't as tempting as it had been just the day before. That is until a very recognizable face answers the door of the vacation house.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note**: This is my first fan fic so please just leave constructive criticism no bashing. Also I would love to hear feedback or any ideas you might like to see later on in the story. I have no idea where it's going exactly so hopefully it turns out well enough.

**Summary:** Bella is ready for a nice vacation with her best friend Alice and some of her family. That is, until a bronzed haired man grabs her attention at work. Suddenly vacation doesn't seem too exciting. To top it off her boyfriend has other plans that don't include accompanying her on said vacation. When everything seems hopeless the vacation house door opens to reveal a very familiar face. Vacations about to get good. Even though an unexpected guest may throw a wrench in the whole operation...

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

BPOV

Jacob was draped across me cutting off half of my air supply making it hard to breath. I had nudged him, poked him, told him to move and even tried to squeeze out from underneath of him but all to no avail. I had to work in less than an hour now and I still needed to shower, brush my teeth, do my hair, get dressed and somehow manage to get some breakfast down. It wasn't looking good this morning. Finally I decided I couldn't wait any longer.

"Jacob! Get off!" I pushed a little more aggressively and then punched his shoulder and he just grunted before finally letting me loose. Not completely loose but enough that I could finally slip out of the bed. This had to stop. I wasn't going to get written up for tardiness one more time. Actually I couldn't because I was on my last warning. I don't remember how long it was before one of them dropped off giving me a little slack but it wasn't today.

I took the quickest shower in my life and only half dried my hair before throwing it up into a messy bun. Not the most professional thing in the world but it would have to do today. Luckily it was Friday though so that relieved a little stress. I threw on some of my favorite jeans, I had come to the conclusion they made my nonexistent ass look amazing, and a deep green button up shirt. I decided to roll up the sleeves when I saw the bright sun already shining through my window. One more look in the mirror and I decided it was good enough. I grabbed my chucks and rushed out of the bedroom.

I started rifling through my kitchen for something to eat but everything was pretty much empty. I had no milk, not that I had any cereal to actually use the milk on, no granola bars, no bread, not even a piece of fruit. I yelled at Jacob in my head. This was just getting ridiculous. He didn't live here, I didn't even invite him over, half the time he would just show up and get all puppy dog face on me and would wiggle his way in. That puppy dog face was the reason I was going to be completely starved two hours from now. I did one more 'Grr' in my head before deciding to just swing by the Starbucks in the lobby at work.

I was standing in line remembering just why I never came here. The crowds were horrible. I always forgot how many people worked in this building and even though only a fraction of them made a stop here on their way to their office it still was jam packed. I finally got to the counter with only ten minutes left to get up to my desk. I ordered a Tall Caramel Macchiato and a scone. When I started fishing through my bag for my wallet I noticed it was MIA. What a great way to start my day.

"I'm sorry," I started telling the barista guy. He looked rather annoyed by it but I'm sure the other employees were already working on my drink. "Um, I can just run up to my desk really quick…wait, no I can't or I'll be late. I'm sorry I guess can I just cancel it?" He started to roll his eyes and I ducked my head. How embarrassing.

"I've got it and just double her order, I'll have the same. A scone and a Macchiato." I looked up and saw a twenty dollar bill being passed to the Starbucks kid. I looked to see who the hand belonged to and momentarily forgot my name. This guy was gorgeous, in a 'I'm not trying too hard, I just am' kind of way. He had these crazy green eyes that made my knees feel weak and a crooked smile with perfect white teeth. Maybe today wasn't as bad as I thought.

"Thank you, you really didn't have to though. I probably don't need the sugar or the calories." I could feel my cheeks immediately redden. I couldn't believe I had just said that to him. He didn't need to know I was watching my figure.

"It's not a problem." He smiled at me and then I saw him leaning closer and stopped breathing. "In fact, I think you look great so I wouldn't worry too much about those calories." Alright, and now I was a complete goner. If I couldn't remember my name before now I had just forgotten where I even was. "I'm Edward by the way." He extended his hand towards me his other shoving his change into one of the many pockets of his tan cargo pants.

"Bella." I smiled shaking his hand lightly. I was glad my brain pulled through when it was primetime. I followed him over to the counter our drinks would be passed over to us. "So you work here?" Stupid question. I didn't know anybody who would go to this Starbucks if they didn't work here. There were plenty more scattered all over Seattle and none of them were as inconveniently tucked behind a large reception area in an office building.

"Yea, I do marketing. How about you?" He leaned against the counter slightly, his arm resting on the top of it, and I couldn't help my eyes from quickly peeking down to the small patch of skin just above his waistband that his charcoal thermal shirt wasn't covering. Luckily, when I looked back up he seemed to be looking at the other baristas, probably checking to see if our drinks were coming out soon.

"I work in editing. So I think you definitely have a much better view than me. Marketing is on the…eleventh floor?" He chuckled a little and I felt that now familiar wobble in my legs again.

"Yea we're up there. It's not as good as it sounds though. I don't have a window I have a cubicle so I only get to see outside on very rare occasions. But working in editing you guys all get your own office I think, so I'd say you have me beat Bella." The way he said my name was so smooth. I liked how he said it. Like he knew me already and was talking to me for the four hundredth time.

"Alright, well then I suppose you should stop by my office sometime." I smiled and then I know my eyes about bugged out of my head. That sounded way too much like a pass. "I just mean…I meant so I can pay you back." Just a minute too late the drinks were finally set in front of us along with the two scones in a small bag.

"I think I could manage that." He smiled picking up the bag and both of our drinks and walking toward the elevators. I followed right beside him offering to take my cup but he insisted on holding it. I wasn't going to complain. It looked too hot to drink yet anyways.

Once we were in the elevator it was hard to talk anymore. There were so many people crammed in there. The elevator doors opened to the seventh floor and I turned to face Edward.

"Well, thanks for the breakfast. Swing by sometime today and I'll get you that money." He smiled this sexy as hell smile and I momentarily forgot the elevator doors were about to close. He stuck out a foot in time to make sure I could still make it out.

"I will definitely stop by." He winked at me before handing me my drink and scone. I stepped backward slowly letting the elevator doors close in front of me. What a great way to start my day.


	2. Chapter 2

**BPOV**

"I'm telling you Alice, this guy was gorgeous in a way that seems like it isn't even possible. Even in his baggy cargos and thermal I could tell he was clearly toned." I peaked over to the window by my door to make sure nobody was out there. I was always paranoid that somebody would be standing there and hear my conversations or see me doing something embarrassing. That was generally my life, embarrassment.

"Seriously Bella, bring the god-like man on vacation instead of Jacob. I think that would make us all happy." I couldn't tell if she was joking or not through the phone. When it came to figuring Alice out visuals were almost always necessary.

"Why do you hate Jacob so much? He's been…civil." Alright I knew that was a lie. Jacob was horrible to her but to be fair she never really gave him a chance either. I had just always hoped that my best friend and my boyfriend would get along.

"Bella, who does like him?" Just as I opened my mouth to answer her she stepped in again. "Nobody from the reservation either, or that stupid garage he works at. I'm talking about people who you like that like him too." Alice had a point. Jacob didn't mesh with the people I tended to gravitate to. I always told myself that's what made him so interesting but it was starting to get increasingly more difficult to find it as a good thing. "All I'm saying is that this new guy sounds like a winner. He's clearly generous and nice, funny maybe, unbelievably gorgeous…I don't see a problem."

"I have a boyfriend, that's the problem." I regretted saying it. Jacob wasn't a problem, well not always. Sure he was kind of a handful these days but he told me that he was working a lot so I could see how it could take a toll on him.

"Whatever, just tell me what this guys name is." Alice was smart enough not to continue with the Jacob conversation. We had gotten into plenty of fights recently and I didn't want to ruin today.

"His name is-" I was just about to say Edward when I heard a knock on my door. "I'll tell you later Al." I could hear her protesting but hung up the phone anyways. As soon as I opened the door my brain stopped working again. Edward was standing in front of me, arms crossed in front of his chest while he leaned against the door frame.

"Well it looks like I was right. You have a much better view than I do." He let his arms drop and started to take a step before pausing. "May I?" I was too shocked to say anything so I just nodded and watched him walk the rest of the way into my office. He was the first man to ever ask my permission to come in. To my office, my apartment, my car. It seemed ridiculous to think so highly of a general act of courtesy but somehow it was about to be added to the list of things I would undoubtedly be thinking about as soon as he wasn't in my presence again.

"Sorry," I shook the thoughts out of my head. "I have your money all set, it's just in my desk drawer." As I was reaching for the drawer his smooth voice stopped me.

"Actually, I was thinking you could pay me back by going to lunch with me. I didn't bring a lunch today and I don't have anybody to go out with so you'd be paying me back with your company. If that sounds alright to you?" He turned his green gaze to me and I was sold. Pathetic a little, but sold nonetheless.

"Well I am starving so that sounds like a great plan. I'm still going to pay you back though." He rolled his eyes at me and I had to bite my lip to keep my mind off of staring at him. No need for him to think I'm a freak after just a few hours of knowing me.

"There's a great sandwich place a couple blocks from here. You can ride with me and save yourself the trouble of trying to find a parking spot." I thought it over for a moment. Maybe not the smartest thing to get a ride from a stranger but his good looks and charming personality were winning me over more and more by the second.

"Sounds like a good plan to me. Let me just grab a few bucks." I took the money out of my desk drawer and made my way out of my office. He closed the door behind me and lead me towards the elevator making small talk on our way to the parking ramp. We were in the back corner when I started to feel bad about him having to drive and give up his spot. We could have just as easily taken my car.

"You know it would be no easier for you to find a parking spot than me. I can drive. I still owe you anyways so we could just call driving and lunch even then." He chuckled to himself and I wasn't sure what was funny really. Then I understood when we came to a stop in front of a silver motorcycle. "You aren't serious right?"

"Oh I am totally serious. But don't worry I haven't been in an accident yet and I'm not planning on changing that fact anytime soon. This is my baby, I'm not letting anything happen to it." He patted the seat a little smiling down at it. I, on the other hand, wasn't as thrilled about the mode of transportation. Bad things always happened to me and I couldn't imagine wanting to make it any easier.

"I don't do motorcycles." I laughed in my head about how true that was. Jacob had been trying to get me on his bike forever now and I still hadn't given in.

"I promise I won't let anything happen to you." He smiled that million dollar smile at me again and I unwilling started to shuffle forward slightly. I watched as he swung his right leg over the seat and got himself positioned. Then he looked back to me waiting for me to make the final move. "Trust me Bella." He took hold of my hand pulling me forward a little and for some reason that was all the encouragement I needed.

"If you kill me I'm totally haunting your ass." He was laughing again but he still hadn't let go of my hand as I climbed up swinging my own leg over the back of the bike. Then I couldn't focus because he had just reached back grabbing my other hand and moved both of my them around his waist. This was maybe not as bad as I thought it was going to be.

Just before we took off he pushed the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows. The entire ride I couldn't stop myself from staring at his forearms. They were flexed from gripping the handles of the bike and I could see the large veins that ran through his arms. I had never found that particularly attractive until that exact moment in my life. Lucky for me I was too distracted by his sexy arms that I didn't even notice the probably horrifying ride.

**EPOV**

Lunch was amazing. The ride to lunch had been even better though. Bella had a death grip around my waist but that was fine because it kept her firmly pressed against my back and that had felt great. I had almost decided to circle the block a few times just to make it last longer but I didn't want to push it for her. She didn't seem to be enjoying the ride nearly as much as me. She seemed like she hadn't moved an inch the entire ride.

I looked over to see her taking another bite of her sandwich and I loved that she wasn't being one of those salad girls. She ordered what she wanted and ate it like she would usually eat it. I was getting so sick of girls just picking at food and being embarrassed about actually eating.

"Is it good?" I asked not realizing her mouth was still full. I could see her cheeks blush a little and she just nodded sheepishly. It was quite breathtaking really. Just her red cheeks made my heart speed up. I watched her hold up a finger to me before she forced herself to swallow down the lump of food.

"This is delicious. I can't believe I never knew this place existed." She took another look around the restaurant and I unconsciously did the same. It was definitely a cozy place. It was so familiar to me and I was glad I could introduce it to her.

"My parents used to bring me here when I was a kid and we would visit my grandparents. Kind of just became my regular place when I started working in the city." I eyed what was left of my potato chips and scooped up one of the smaller ones. I had pretty much inhaled my sandwich and I was pretty full, but you can't forget those homemade chips. What a waste that would be so I just kept picking at them.

"Where did you originally live?" She was picking at her own chips now too. I liked that she looked like she was planning on clearing her plate too.

"Well I grew up in Chicago. But I traveled out west all the time to visit my dad's side of the family and I loved it so after my sister and brother and I graduated high school my parents decided to move out here. I went to UW. I had thought about maybe moving when I graduated so I did an internship in Jacksonville, not really my thing, and decided Seattle suited me the best." I finished off my water and signaled to the waitress to get another for Bella and I.

"Thank you," She said motioning to her drink. I didn't think she had noticed but then she did seem slightly more aware of what was going on around her than most girls. Not a bad thing. "So you got pulled into the Northwest then and can't go back." She started laughing and I was confused at first then I just couldn't think at all. Her laugh was like some kind of music it was so smooth in my head. I was grinning like an idiot I'm sure.

"What about you? Have you always lived in Seattle?" I thanked the waitress quietly when she set down the two glasses of water waiting for Bella to begin.

"Definitely not. In fact, I am really surprised I'm still here. Cold, wet weather and I do not mix at all." That made me laugh. "I know, it doesn't make sense but I guess it has grown on me a little bit."

"So where did you come from then?" I was curious about this girl. I wanted to ask her thousands of questions but I would just have to stay in our topics so I didn't freak her out or anything.

"Well originally I lived in this little town called Forks, but my mom took me to Phoenix, Arizona when I was about four. So I lived in Phoenix most of my life until my mom got remarried to this baseball player. Needless to say it wasn't copasetic having a teenage daughter anymore so I went back to Forks to live with my dad. I went to WSU and out of the gate was offered a job here in Seattle so I took it and I've been here ever since."

"Wow, sounds like a much more interesting story than mine." She returned my smile and we sat there for just an extra second both staring at each other.

"Not really, I am a very boring person when you get to know me." I laughed at that. She didn't seem like the type of person that could be boring if she tried. "Believe what you will, I warned you though." I think she winked at me, or started to before she started blushing and turned her head away. It was weird but I had to admit I liked the almost wink.

"So do you get to see your mom much then?" I hoped I wasn't prying but I really did want to know everything about this girl. She looked like she was thinking really hard about it. I decided I should just stay quiet and wait for her. After about a minute she finally spoke up.

"No, not really. She is pretty preoccupied with Phil. And oddly enough they live in Jacksonville, but they actually like it there so they aren't planning on moving West anytime soon." I noticed the sadness that was dancing in her deep brown eyes. For some reason I felt angry at her mother. How could she so willingly have given Bella up?

"If you don't mind me asking, do you two not get along?" I was surprised she didn't hesitate to answer me.

"Not really anymore. In Phoenix she wanted to be my best friend and I had to be her mom pretty much. I did everything. I took care of the bills, the housework, our schedules…everything. Then Phil came along and she kind of half shoved me out the door. I know it's stupid, but I guess I'm still a little bitter about it." When she looked at me I could tell she felt a little ashamed but why should she?

"Why not be bitter? It sounds like you were doing everything for her and she just tossed you aside for some guy. I'd be pissed too if I were you." In fact I was feeling a lot pissed at her mom now. It wasn't logical but I truly was more than a little angry that anybody would disregard Bella like that.

"Thanks, how about we get out of here. I don't think that being late from lunch is any better than being late to work." She laughed a little and then dug into her wallet.

"Please, I insist." I had already grabbed out a few bills and dropped them on the table.

"Edward," I felt a twitch of excitement again hearing my name coming from her lips. "I already owe you money I don't want to keep adding onto the bill." I chuckled with her.

"Please, just let me pay for it. You can buy lunch next week." Then the smile fell off her face. Maybe I said something wrong, I didn't think it had sounded that bad though.

"I'll be gone next week, I'm going on vacation with a friend and some other people." I thought I heard her hesitate a second before saying other people but it may have just been me. But then I thought about what she had said. Vacation.

"Oh, actually…I'll be on vacation too. I can't believe I forgot that. I might be losing my mind a little bit." She bit her lip and all I could think about was kissing those lips. I'm sure I was staring because when I looked away from her lips her face was red. "Right, let's just get back to the office."

We headed back out to my bike and she jumped on without any hesitation this time, wrapped her arms around my waist, and let her thighs hug the sides of my hips. I wasn't sure how I was supposed to be able to drive this thing with her body wrapped around mine. Somehow I managed to make it back to work, though I couldn't remember anything from the ride except her fingers digging into my stomach a little too close to my waistband.

"So I'll see you in two weeks then?" She asked as she held onto my shoulders and pushed herself off the bike. I got up myself and leaned in to hug her. I think it surprised both of us but she seemed to relax a little in my arms.

"I'll see you then." I started to get back on my motorcycle when her hand pulled at my arm.

"Where are you going? I'm pretty sure your lunch break is the same amount of time as mine." She was smiling and I returned it.

"I'm taking a half day." I grinned at her before climbing onto the bike and pulling out. I glanced back to look at her one more time. I felt like it was going to be a long week. I already wanted this vacation to be over and get back to work. That was very unlike me.

**A/N: Thanks for reading I hope you're enjoying it so far. I'd love to hear some feedback so any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.**


	3. Chapter 3

BPOV

"Jacob?" I closed the door to my apartment and dropped my bag onto the floor. "Jake!" I was really surprised when I noticed he wasn't here. Mainly because he was supposed to be ready to go when I got home. I had told him five o'clock sharp I was leaving the office and would be ready to go. I pulled out my phone and dialed his number.

"Hmm?" Was he sleeping?

"Jacob, where are you? We have to get going." I heard him shuffle around a little bit. He was sleeping. Great.

"Look Bella, I think you should just go without me. I mean I don't like any of your friends it's not going to be any fun." Wow that hurt a little.

"I'll be there Jake, doesn't that matter?" I waited for a reply and he didn't say anything. I could just see him right now probably rolling his eyes at me thinking I'm being melodramatic. "Please Jake, this is like a couples vacation. I don't want to be the only person there that isn't a couple."

"Sorry alright, I just think you should go by yourself. Plus I have some stuff I want to do with Paul down at the shop. I got in some new parts for the Rabbit." And now he was yawning. I could not believe this conversation at all.

"You're kidding right? You are telling me five minutes _after _I was supposed to leave for this vacation I have been planning on for months now that you would rather hang out with Paul and work on that stupid car?!" I know yelling was uncalled for but I couldn't help myself. This was crazy.

"Bella, it'll be fine you'll still have fun. But I have to go. I love you." Fuck that. I said it, fuck that. He wasn't getting away with it this time. I couldn't handle him any more.

"You know what Jake, I'm done. Don't expect me to come back from vacation looking for you. Have fun at the garage." I didn't even wait to hear what he was saying on the other line. I closed my phone, grabbed my duffel bag and walked out the door. I was going to have fun on this vacation and I wasn't going to spend any of my time thinking about stupid Jacob.

It only took me a couple of hours and I was pulling up in front of what Alice had called a "small" summer home. I burst out laughing. If this was small my apartment was a cardboard box. The thing was huge and that was an understatement. It was beautiful though. There was a private lake you could see peaking out from behind the house. A small forest surrounded the lake and the sides of the house. It was all quite serene really.

I looked around and didn't see any other cars. But knowing Alice she probably had to make a last minute shopping trip or something. Then I noticed a silver motorcycle and I swear my heart jumped into my throat. I tried to calm myself down and be rational. What were the odds that it was Edwards motorcycle. Slim, very very slim. I rolled my eyes mostly at myself before grabbing my bag and making my way to the front door. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to knock or not but this wasn't my house so I opted for the knocking.

"Hey Alice, about time." I'm sure I looked just as shocked as he did. There in front of me was Edward with his perfectly misplaced bronze hair and bright green eyes. Except know he was in a pair of plaid shorts and a t-shirt that showed off all of the muscles in his arms and legs. "Bella? What are you doing here?"

"I um, well I'm pretty sure this is the right place. I'm supposed to be staying for the week with my friend Alice and her two brothers and some other people. What are you doing here?" Well that was stupid, he obviously knew Alice since he thought it was her instead of me when he opened the door.

"Well I'm Alice's brother. Wow, small world." He was beaming and I couldn't take my eyes off of his. "Come in, I think Alice should be here in just a few minutes." He moved out of the doorway to let me in. I followed him in and then stopped in what I think they call a foyer. It was even bigger inside than it was outside. You could see from the front door all the way to the back wall which wasn't really a wall so much as giant windows that exposed the whole lake scene to the living room area.

"This is, wow, amazing." I looked around a little more at all of the intricate details in the wood staircases that lined the entry way and the large chandelier that hung above me.

"Yea my parent's go a little overboard. Especially Esme…she's an interior decorator." He seemed to add that in when he noticed I hadn't exactly caught on. "Uh, would you like me to take you to your room?"

"Right, yea that would be nice." I started following him through the house, past the kitchen. Seemed like I was in the back corner. Which was fine by me. I was pretty sure I didn't want to be anywhere close to Alice's room after hearing all of her sex stories. No way I wanted to have to hear that stuff.

"So, is your uh boyfriend going to come later?" I didn't have anything in my mouth to choke on but at that moment I couldn't stop coughing. I saw him rub the back of his neck uncomfortably and I tried to settle down. "I just…Alice told me her friend, that being you I guess, was coming with her boyfriend. So I was just wondering when he was showing up." I thought I saw some hope in his expression so I decided to give it to him.

"Well I broke up with him a couple of hours ago." I laughed a little at how absurd that sounded.

"Oh, sorry to hear that." He didn't look sorry though and I liked that.

"Don't be. He was turning into a real asshole so I decided to put him out of his misery." We were in my room now. It was huge. A giant bed was situated facing the wall of glass. I wasn't sure how I felt about people being able to see into my room and then I noticed the large curtains that were hanging in the corners. I put my duffel bag down on the bed and turned around to find Edward right in front of me.

"You know, speaking as an outside source here, I think you did the right thing." I couldn't swallow the lump in my throat. He was just inches from me and my body seemed hypersensitive. I could feel his fingers coming closer to my hip.

"Where's your girlfriend?" I blurted out and saw when his hand fell back to his side. Wow, I was one stupid girl.

"I don't have a girlfriend. Or I guess I did until a couple of weeks ago. It wasn't serious though and I am much happier now." I saw him glance my way and the blush came back to my face yet again. I had to learn how to control that. "So I guess you and I will have to pair up this week, if that's okay with you?"

"I think I could manage being your girlfriend for the week." He raised his eyebrows and I immediately regretted saying it. I must have sounded ridiculous.

"Well since you're going to be my girlfriend we better make it official." Before I could ask him what he meant he leaned in and just as his lips were about to touch mine…

"Bella-" Alice busted into my room nearly knocking Edward down on her way over to me. She wrapped me up in a tight hug. "I am so glad you came, and with no Jacob…what a treat." Then I think it registered to her that Edward and I had just been in extremely close proximity to one another. "Am I interrupting something?" When Edward and I both jumped in denying the interruption of any activities she raised an eyebrow at me. "You and I are catching up tonight."

**A/N: Sorry it was such a short chapter. Please leave some feedback for me, thanks!**


	4. Chapter 4

**BPOV**

Alice had dragged me through the house and into what I was guessing was the master suite. Of course Alice would have planned on taking it. She did deserve it though. From everything I had heard she had her hands full planning this week for the last three months and who knew how long before that. I took a seat on the giant bed and watched as she fluttered around the room putting her clothes and other belongs in their places. She really was a force to be reckoned with when it came to planning and organization. Not a bad quality just a somewhat intimidating one at times.

"Bella, why don't you just tell me what's going on with you and my brother. I won't be mad." Alice stopped suddenly eyeing me expectantly. She was also very direct. Most people didn't like that one too much but I loved it about her. She never just tiptoed around what she wanted to say and it was refreshing. I had spent too many years with Jessica Stanley's who tried to pry information out of you without ever really asking what they wanted to know. I blinked the thoughts away and stared back up at Alice who was waiting for my reply patiently.

"Well, I didn't know it at the time but that guy from today who paid for me at Starbucks…his name was Edward. I guess I hadn't really thought about him being _your_ Edward. Plus you two don't look anything alike." Alice started to smirk at me. I knew she was about to make this week hell for me just for the fun of it. It was that one look she always got when she was planning something devious. That look scared me.

"You know how great this could be?! You could be my sister Bella!" She flung herself into my arms squealing and I let her have a second before I decided to break the news to her. I couldn't help smiling though at the thought. I had been an only child and even though I enjoyed it thoroughly at times, I had still always wanted that person that could be my confidant. I knew Alice could never be my sister by blood but getting even a little bit closer to it sounded very appealing to me.

"Alice, we just met today. I think planning a wedding might be a little…uncalled for. Really, I think he's great but we just met." I nudged her off of my lap and straightened out my shirt. I hadn't noticed but I really needed to get changed into something more vacationy. Sure the jeans were comfortable but the shirt wasn't relaxed enough. I wanted to pull on a big hoodies or something.

"You didn't look like you had just met. You looked like you were about to start humping him had I not come into your room." Alice started laughing as she began to move around the room in a flurry again. My head had shot up too slow to give her the stink eye. She was already buried in the closet again.

"You do know you're talking about your brother right?" She paused for only a second to give me a so-what look and went over to organize the drawers of her dresser. "Yes, well as fun as this has been, and it has been truly, I'm going to go get situated." I stood up and started walking out of her room not waiting for her to have a chance to stop me. Talking about me and my potential "humping" of her brother was maybe not awkward for her but it sure wasn't great for me. A small part of me was laughing along with Alice and telling me that she was probably right.

"We're going out for dinner in thirty." She called out the door. I waved my hand in the air sure she couldn't see it but didn't really care. I started making my way down the giant staircase. I had thirty minutes to get dressed. Then I wondered where we were going and thought about what I had packed. I hadn't really packed something fancy or anything. I actually really hadn't packed much at all I just threw the first things I found in my bag. Great. My shoulders slumped and I turned around and made my way back to Alice's room.

"It pains me to say this…but I need your help." I think I saw a devilish look flash in her eyes before she quickly turned it into innocence. Yep, I was going to regret this.

"I thought you might say that." She reached under her bed and pulled out another suitcase. "I may have stopped and picked you up a few things on the way." She flung it on top of the large bed and started to unzip it.

"Are you serious Alice?" I looked at the suitcase and it wasn't small by any means. And once she opened it I understood why. The thing was packed to the brim with skirts, shirts, bathing suits, dresses. Did she think we might have to wait out a nuclear war?

"I was trained to be prepared Bella." She puffed out her chest and saluted me. I couldn't hold in the laughter. She looked completely adorable trying to look tough.

"So you were a scout then?" I gave her a questioning look. For some reason I couldn't picture her lasting much longer than one meeting.

"Fuck no, have you seen the uniforms? You couldn't pay me enough to wear one of those vests." She looked physically ill thinking about it. That was my Alice.

"You know Alice, they also had sashes. At least you had options." She threw some clothes at me that surprisingly I caught. I let myself laugh at her expense. I knew she was laughing on the inside she was just better at hiding it than most people.

"Go get dressed." She sounded less than amused but I could see the slight sparkle in her eye she got when we would joke around. She was definitely laughing in there.

I had been sitting in my room chewing on my nails. This was not something I was comfortable with. I stood up and stepped in front of the mirror for the hundredth time. My eyes were darting everywhere in a semi-panic.

"You look like an idiot." I ran my fingers through my hair looking down at the outfit Alice had told me to put on. This was so not me it wasn't funny. I blamed myself mostly, I should have checked what I was getting myself into before leaving her room. No, I should have just not asked Alice for help. This outfit was inevitable and I did it anyways.

"I'm coming in Bella!" I could hear Alice shouting from the other side of the door. I groaned more to

myself than anything. I knew she was going to be forcing me out the door in this. "Oh my, I do good work." Her eyes scanned over me and she smiled brightly before handing me some black strappy stilettos.

"Right Alice, you've met me before haven't you?" She ignored me and pushed me down onto the bed before bending down to strap them onto my feet. I was grateful for that at least. They looked complicated as I watched her move effortlessly.

"You're being so ridiculous. You look amazing and these are going to make your legs look smoking hot." She wiped her hands off as she stood up to admire her work once more. She nodded and grabbed my hand dragging me out of the room. Why did I let this happen to me every single time I hung out with Alice?

**EPOV**

I took one more look into the mirror. I looked down to the buttons on my shirt and unbuttoned them again. I tried to remember what Alice had told me before. Was it two buttons or three buttons? I looked over my black shirt once more as I unbuttoned the third button. White shirt and three buttons undone? I wanted Bella to know I was interested in her, or at least girls in general.

"You look like a jackass." I ran my hands over my face and sighed. "You're right you do." I nodded as I buttoned the third button again. Tow buttons undone seemed to be the way to go.

I began working on rolling my sleeves up and then tucked my shirt into my jeans. I looked at it for a second and then pulled the bottom of my shirt back out. The shirt was already a pretty snug fit and tucking it in just made me look ridiculous. I quickly had an image of Jasper and his constant tucking of his button-up shirts and started laughing. Jasper had that southern charm thing going for him so he could pull it off, not me though. I nodded my head, this was as good as it was going to get.

I left the bathroom and went back into the bedroom. I slipped on my Kenneth Cole's and grabbed my wallet off of the night stand. I started to walk out of my room when I ran into Bella. I literally ran into Bella. It seemed like Alice had been dragging her out of her room. She hadn't known until now I guess that my bedroom was right next to hers. I guessed she had figured it out as she blushed lightly when her eyes glanced inside. I mentally cursed myself then when I remembered I had clothes all over the floor from rifling through them looking for something to wear.

My mind stopped cursing me when I finally took a good look at Bella. Her hair was down and hung over her shoulders in soft waves. She was wearing a black halter top that was slit over her stomach exposing the flat milky skin there. I could feel myself starting to drool but I wasn't done yet. My eyes drifted down to the barely there mini skirt. It was a simple light denim but It stopped where I imagine her ass just ended and her legs looked amazing. The black heels nearly killed me.

I groaned and I think it may have been louder than I thought. Bella's eyes shot up to mine and it was me turning red this time. I could see Alice out of the corner of my eye smiling smugly. Leave it to her to torture me.

"Bella," I choked out noticing just then how dry my throat had gotten. "You look amazing." She smiled shyly at me and I had never seen anything so beautiful. Granted I kind of preferred her jeans and chucks, they seemed a little more her style, but this was working for her just as much.

"Sorry to interrupt but we have to go guys." Alice sang. Sometimes it annoyed me when she used that sing song voice. This was one of those times. "Em and Rose are probably already there." I tore my eyes away from Bella and followed them out of the house. When we stepped outside Alice and Jasper started to hop into her Porsche.

"We're not riding together?" I looked over to Bella who looked equally confused. Alice on the other hand had the typical knowing smile on her face.

"Oh, sorry, did you want to ride in my trunk?" Alice nodded her head to the back of her car. Sometimes I think she forgot that I was the one who bought that car for her. She could be kind of a bitch sometimes and that was when I wished I could just take it away. "Bella has a two person car too so it's really the only way it's going to work out." I hadn't actually noticed Bella's car until just now. I was really surprised to see a small red mini cooper off to the side of the large drive.

"Fine, I guess we'll meet you there." Alice didn't reply she just waved and rocketed off. Had this been a dirt drive like it had originally been intended I was sure Bella and I would be dead by means of being stoned.

"Well Bella, I'm sure you don't want to take the Ducati so I guess that means you're driving?"

"Why can't we take your bike?" My head shot up so fast I almost gave myself whiplash. "I kind of liked the ride earlier." She smiled at me and I was like putty in her hands. If that wasn't enough I almost passed out when she climbed onto the back of the seat. Her skirt hitched up slightly more giving me an incredible view of just how long her legs really were. "Now get on before I flash somebody."

I didn't have to be told twice. I was sure I was going to kill us though. Thankfully the restaurant was only a five minute drive so I wouldn't have too much time to completely endanger her life. I looked down to straighten out the bike and push up the kickstand when I really got a look at her legs up close. They looked so smooth and soft. I had to bite my lip and shut my eyes. I needed to concentrate.

"Ready?" I asked her and I think my voice actually cracked. Perfect. I thought I heard her laughing at me but shook it off and got us on the way. I didn't want to be too far behind Alice, I could only imagine the crazy things she would start telling Emmett and Rosalie until we showed up.

We were almost there when I heard Bella yell "Gross." But maybe she said something else I thought. That was until I saw the little bug that had met his end by her knee. I tried to stay steady on the road and look down at her knee. Obviously with her death grip she wasn't going to let go and brush it off and I wasn't going to make her sit there with it spread out on her knee.

**A/N: Thanks for reading everybody. I hope you're enjoying it so far. Let me know what you think. :D**


	5. Chapter 5

**BPOV**

I had been torn. On one hand I could die but I wouldn't have that nasty bug on my knee. On the other hand, I could just be completely grossed out. It was a hard decision. That bug was huge. I was just about to risk my life and let go of my death grip on Edward's stomach when the sweetest thing happened. Edward reached his left hand down and brushed the bug off of my knee.

The best part of all of that was when he finished getting all of the nasty stuff off he wiped it on his jeans and then returned his hand back to my knee. He wasn't caressing it or anything but it still seemed completely intimate to me. His hand was so deceivingly soft and I could feel the heat surging from his fingertips to my knee. I found myself wishing the restaurant was hours away rather than five minutes. Unfortunately it wasn't though and just as I really started to enjoy the contact Edward slid his hand off and back to the bikes handle.

We turned into a parking lot that I hadn't even noticed until we were right on top of it. It was so neatly tucked into the wilderness. The place looked amazing though. There was a large fountain situated in the middle of the walk up to the front door. The building was huge to say the least. It seemed like more of a lodge than a restaurant. It was made of large round stones, or at least covered in them, and it seemed to be outlined by large chocolate brown wooden beams that mixed perfectly with the light grey colors of the rocks. Essentially it looked liked it belonged there in the middle of the forest.

I was pulled out of my awe as Edward stopped us in a parking spot near an enormous Jeep. I assumed it was Emmett's just from looking at it. I hadn't ever seen it before but Alice had mentioned it on more than one occasion. She would always complain after having been in it that it was too bulky and inconveniently slow. Looking at it now I could see how Alice could consider it bulky, but it didn't seem that slow. It looked like it had been modified quite a bit actually. I had to laugh to myself though when I thought of what normal people such as myself thought the word fast meant and what Alice's version of fast was.

"I guess we're the last ones." Edward said nodding towards the Jeep and confirming my thoughts that it was Emmett's. "I hope you're quick at picking what you want to eat." Edward laughed as he pushed himself off of the motorcycle and then took my hand to help me.

"What do you mean?" I asked as I pulled my skirt down slightly and tried to straighten out my shirt.

"Rosalie." That's all Edward said as he put his hand on the small of my back and started to lead me towards the front door. Thankfully he continued to explain, I was too confused. "She is very…impatient at times. Especially when you're late and at a restaurant."

If I hadn't been intimidated by this entire thing already I sure was now. I had only heard stories about Rosalie and even though Alice said she liked her she had told me plenty about how Rosalie acted towards people she didn't know. The only thing that kept my feet moving was the slow movement of Edwards thumb on my back. It was soothing in such an indescribable way. I would have walked off the edge of a cliff if his hand had guided me that way.

When we got into the restaurant however, I stopped in my tracks. The inside was even more beautiful than the outside. It really was like an upscale elegant wilderness lodge. I had never thought you could mix the two in such an amazingly eloquent way. I was sidetracked by all of the small wood detailing and didn't notice that Edward had moved away from me to the hostess to help us find out party.

"Bella?" My name brought me back to reality. "They're waiting for us." He held out his arm for me and I was perfectly content to loop my arm in his. Our table was in the far corner much more private than most of the other seating in the large room. As we neared I could see Alice turned towards us and bouncing in her chair waving. I had to smile. I loved the girl but she was like a six year old that found the candy stash.

My smile quickly faded when I saw the glare from the beautiful blonde on the other side of the round table. I tried not to stare at her too and quickly turned my gaze to the large bulky guy next to her. That was Emmett, exactly what I had expected. He did seem a little intimidating but from all of Alice's stories I couldn't see him as being anything more than a giant teddy bear. His dark slightly curled short hair almost made me laugh out loud. It seemed so funny that such a big guy would have such a goofy hairstyle. His smile was nearly as big as his muscles though and I immediately went back to thinking about how sweet I had pictured him to be.

"Bella, nice to meet you." Emmett stood up and wrapped me in his huge arms. He was quite cuddly, I had definitely been right about my teddy bear analogy. I hugged him back giggling softly.

"You too Emmett. I've heard so much about you." He shot me a goofy grin while he sat back down throwing an arm around Rosalie's shoulder. She didn't look pleased by our display even if it was completely innocent. "And you're Rosalie right? It's nice to meet you too." I extended my hand to her and she only nodded at me. I pulled my hand back to my side and shot Alice a please help me look.

"Don't mind Rose, she's had a long day. Her big order she got in today was all wrong and she wasn't going to be there to fix it." Emmett interrupted our awkward silence only to take her glaring eyes on himself. "Babe, what? That's what happened. Don't worry though. Tanya will take care of it while you're gone. We're here to relax right?" He squeezed her to his side shaking her about and I thought I saw a hint of a smile on her perfectly plump lips. I tried not to compare myself to her mentally that would just be a complete shot to my self-esteem.

"Right, well let's just figure out what we're going to order." Alice spoke up giving me an apologetic glance. Edward and I settled into our seats next to each other. I was very grateful I got to sit between him and Jasper rather than him and Emmett. I didn't really want to be the subject of Rosalie's angry face if I could help it.

I picked up the menu and immediately felt horrible about being late already and now having no clue what to order. I felt pressured as I looked over all of the descriptions on the large menu. Half of them didn't even make sense to me. I wasn't a very decisive person in the first place and now my panic and my lack of technical food terms were getting the best of me. I was extremely aware every time Rosalie eyed Edward and I and fiddled with her menu that was folded in front of her. That wasn't helping me pick at all.

Luckily Edward was here. He was still looking over the menu too and I wasn't sure if he was really thinking of what he wanted or if my panic was actually evident on my face and he was just throwing me a bone. Every time Rosalie would sigh or clear her throat Edward would simply shrug and mention how good everything sounded.

Finally I settled on the braised pork with the mushroom risotto. That seemed harmless enough, at least I had understood about seventy-five percent of the description which was good enough for now. I set my menu down and as soon as it hit the table Edward decided he was ready too.

**EPOV**

I could see Rosalie's death glare out of the corner of my eye but I could also see Bella's panicked face and I wasn't going to let Rose intimidate her. The poor girl looked like a deer caught in the headlights and with every passing minute she just looked more and more desperate to make a decision. So even though I had known what I wanted to eat before we even left for the restaurant I was just going to take my time looking over the menu.

I had to admit it was kind of nice. I had been ordering the same thing every time I came here for the last four years. I loved that their menu stayed relatively similar every time we came. Then again why fix something that's not broken. I didn't have a bad word to say about the food here. They did tend to add seasonal selections so I took a minute to look those over. Nothing sounded quite as good as what I had chosen already but that wasn't to say there weren't some tempting options.

I saw Bella nod a little more to herself than anybody else I figured and then she started to make her move. As soon as I saw Bella fold her menu and lay it down on the table I did the same grinning at Rosalie the entire time.

"I think I've made up my mind. The lamb sounds too good to pass up." My smile only got bigger as her stare got harsher. There was something so fun about pissing Rosalie off. It was probably just how easy it was. I like a challenge sure but the lack of effort it took to really get under Rose's skin was priceless. This only proved it. We had only been looking over the menu for about five minutes or so and she was visible fuming about the delay in her dinner schedule.

I flashed Rose one more grin before ee waved over the waiter. He seemed pretty young to be a server here. There tended to be more mature people that worked here but he seemed nice enough at first glance. Probably a college kid working over his summer break.

"My name's Tyler, I'll be your waiter today." I laughed to myself. I really never liked when people introduced themselves that way. Clearly you're my waiter or you wouldn't be standing in front of me taking my order. I wasn't going to let that pet peeve get to me tonight though. I was enjoying myself way too much to let anything put a damper on things. "Can I start you out with some wine and an appetizer?" He looked around the table expectantly and I noticed him stop at Bella. Was he eyeing her?

"How about just a bottle of Riesling, whatever you think is best. No appetizer, I think we all know what we want." I interrupted his eye fucking of Bella and he unwillingly looked away to scribble a note on his pad of paper.

"Great, we have an excellent Late Harvest I think you would enjoy." Now he was blatantly flirting with Bella. I saw the little wink he threw in to her. I took a second to peak over at her and she was blushing. Was she enjoying this?

"I really like Riesling." She smiled at him and then glanced over to me. I didn't want to look like an idiot but I was pretty sure my mouth was open. I couldn't believe her. Here is this tool flirting with her when I'm sure it seems her and I are in some kind of relationship, not that we were just that it would appear that way to an outside person, and she's flirting back.

"Right, well I'll have the lamb." I threw in trying to break up their love fest. Alice seemed to catch on to my disgruntled tone and told him her order as wel, followed by the rest of the table. It didn't go unnoticed by anyone at the table all of the special attention Bella was getting from him. I wasn't happy about it. Then once his eyes started drifting down towards her chest I lost the tiny bit of restraint I had left.

"Hey," I said snapping my fingers at him. "Her eyes are up here." I motioned towards Bella's head and I could see him blushing a harsh red. I noticed Bella's own cheeks turning a light pink and I immediately felt bad for causing a scene over something so small. I hadn't meant to embarrass her too, just that douche of a waiter. "Just go put the order in." I waved him away and he nearly jogged back towards the kitchen.

The table was silent and I could feel all the eyes darting between Bella and I. I took a deep breath trying to calm myself down. This was completely unlike me. I was known for being able to keep my cool. I was like Buddha, maybe not Buddha but I was an easy going guy. I didn't get jealous or angry over stupid college waiters. I was better than that guy…I think. Either way Bella deserved better than that outburst.

"I'm sorry Bella." I looked over to see her smiling. That wasn't what I had expected. But not as unexpected as her bursting into laughter. Now I was confused. Was she laughing at me?

"That was hilarious. Did you see his face?" Bella asked Alice who had started cracking up too. Then the whole table joined in the laughter. Even Rosalie was giggling with the rest of the group. Soon the laughter died down though and we settled into small talk with one another. I was glad my tiny outburst had made a good transition from the awkward silent tension into comfortable conversation. I was even more happy that Bella hadn't been embarrassed by me.

Laughter exploded again when a middle aged server brought the food out to the table rather than our original younger server. This guy seemed extremely professional and more like the waiters I was used to here. I was sure I didn't have to worry about him having any wandering eyes.

The rest of the meal I couldn't get my reaction out of my head. My overreaction really. Bella wasn't mine, we weren't dating. I had no right to drive people away from her like that, even if the guy seemed like a tool. I had no right to be upset with that waiter for enjoying how great Bella looked tonight. The fact of the matter was that I was jealous somehow that she had been talking to him and not discouraging his flirting. It had seemed not intentional but he was flirting with her and she wasn't trying to stop him.

"Edward!" Alice's sharp tone had pulled me out of my thoughts. "We're leaving. Are you alright?" She asked as she pushed herself out of her chair keeping her eyes on me.

"Yea, sorry, just thinking about something. Where's the bill?" I looked around the table for the black folder but couldn't find it anywhere.

"I paid, remember, I still owe you?" Bella smiled at me and I couldn't find my voice to argue with her. This place wasn't cheap though and I had only spent about twenty bucks on her tops. I'd have to do something for her now to even it out.

"Come on guys or you're going to ruin my schedule. And let me tell you, I will not have my itinerary thrown off on the first night!" Alice shouted over her should as Jasper guided her towards the front of the restaurant. "We're stopping at the store and then the night shall continue!" She shouted once more before Jasper threw a hand over her mouth.

"Well we wouldn't want to make Alice mad, now would we?" I raised my eyebrows still watching Alice as she was now being practically dragged out by Jasper but still looking at me with a look that could kill.

"Yea, I think not." Bella laughed as she grabbed my hand and started pulling me along with her. I wasn't complaining. I loved the feeling of her hand in mine. I wondered momentarily if it would be completely out of line to intertwine our fingers but didn't want to push my luck and just let her hold onto it.

We got out the front door just in time to see Alice's Porsche rocketing out of the parking lot followed closely but Emmett's mini monster truck. Even with Alice's threat I still wasn't in too much of a rush to get Bella and I back to the house. I was really getting used to her riding behind me on my bike and I wasn't going to pass up the chance to savor the moment. Especially when Bella's bare legs were hugging mine so tightly.

I was surprised to see Emmett's jeep missing when we got back to the house but knowing him and Rose they pulled off the side of the road somewhere to take care of business as they liked to say. I shuttered at the thought of it. I had heard them more than once in my life and it was beyond disturbing. First because it was my brother and Rose, but second because they definitely weren't ones to try to be discreet about what was going on behind closed doors. I noticed the Porsche wasn't there either. I knew Alice was stopping at the store but I had been driving really slow and taken a slightly longer route than I had on the way to the restaurant. I had figured she'd be back by now.

"Were we supposed to be going somewhere?" I asked Bella as she climbed off the bike.

"Mm, I don't think so. I thought Alice said we'd meet back at the house." She looked just as confused as I felt. "You think we should call her?"

"No, I think it's been a long enough day and I'd rather just go take a shower and relax a little. That is what vacation's good for isn't it?" I winked at her and then pushed the kickstand down before climbing off the bike myself.

"That actually sounds amazing." She smiled back at me and we made our way into the house.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thank You everybody who has been reading. I really would love to hear some feedback though so let me know your thoughts on whats happened or what you would like to see happen. I'd love to know. **

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**BPOV**

I was standing in the bathroom looking at the weird faucet in front of me. Edward had suggested we take showers and relax and I was definitely not going to argue with the idea. I needed some relaxation. But looking into the shower I wasn't sure how to get it. It was like a foreign language but with plumbing. I tried everything I could think of pulling on the few knobs I could see, turning them, pushing on them. Nothing was working. I really didn't want to break anything though and by the looks of it I would be spending a years salary replacing it if I did.

I thought about asking Edward to help me but didn't think it would be a good idea. He might get the wrong impression if I invited him into my bathroom while I was wearing only a towel. On the other hand though I really wanted that shower now and I didn't hear the water from Edwards bathroom yet. I looked longingly at the showerheads situated around the stall and then decided I had no other choice. I wrapped the towel tighter around my body and headed out of the bathroom and out of the bedroom over to Edwards door. Hopefully he could help me.

"Edward?" I knocked on the door lightly but didn't hear any movement. Maybe he was in his bathroom and couldn't hear me. I tried to speak a little louder. "Edward?" I waited another minute fidgeting nervously in the hallway. He must have been doing something I guessed so I decided to just give up. I really wanted that shower but I'd have to wait for Alice to get back from the store to get it. Just as I was turning to walk away the door swung open revealing Edward in his own towel. I could see myself with my jaw hanging open and I couldn't do anything to stop it.

I had felt his stomach during our rides on his motorcycle but seeing it was something completely different. He wasn't just toned, no, that was an understatement. The definition of his abdomen and chest were amazing. He looked cut from marble. I let my eyes travel up his body until I saw a tiny grin playing on his lips. I just couldn't help myself from taking him all in though.

"Did you need something Bella?" He wasn't even trying to hide his smile now and it was making my cheeks burn even more. Why wouldn't my brain just let me function normally around him for once? I mustered all

the coherent thought I could before speaking.

"I can't figure out the shower. It's embarrassing to ask, could you help me turn it on?" My eyes pleaded with him a little, or so I hoped.

"I thought I just had." He winked at me and I felt my stomach tighten. He was flirting with me while we were both in towels. God why was he so sexy like that? I noticed his eyes fall down to my own towel clad body and started to feel a little better about my own wandering eyes. "Yea, I can help you out. It's a little tricky if you haven't used it before."

He brushed past me and our bare arms touched sending a shiver through me. I followed him trying to keep my eyes off of his ass and failing miserably. The towel was just doing such an amazing thing for him. It sat so low on his hips but was snug and didn't leave much of his form to the imagination. We got into my bathroom and I couldn't even pay attention to what he was doing. I was watching his muscles flex as he bent over towards the faucet and licked my lips when his arm muscles bulged slightly as he pulled the handle out.

Edward was the definition of perfect I thought. He wasn't enormous in size he was just right. I never liked the giant bulging muscle guys like Emmett, no offense to him of course, it just wasn't my thing. Now Edward was just showing me why even more. I watched as the water spilled out and he let his fingers sit in one of the spray jets. He kept bending down to adjust the temperature and I really couldn't complain. Every time he did the towel got looser and looser and started sagging. I was in heaven right about then.

"That should be good for you." He turned around and my eyes caught sight of the V muscle he had going on. I had never been sure what that was called but it looked amazing on him so I really didn't care. I snapped my eyes up when I heard him clear his throat.

"Thank you Edward." I let my hand rest on his bicep before sliding it down off of his arm. Neither of us were saying anything just standing staring into each others eyes. Edward must have felt uncomfortable with it at that point because he didn't even say anything to me he just rushed out of my room closing the door behind him. "Wow." I said out loud before letting the towel fall off of me and hopping into the shower.

The water felt amazing. They must have some kind of super intense spray jets because it felt like ten hands massaging me everywhere the water landed. I made a mental note to buy a better showerhead when I got back to my apartment. I would need it too. Taking this vacation was setting me way back at work and I was sure to have at least a couple of weeks of pure stress. I had brought a few manuscripts with me but I was pretty sure I wouldn't get too much down time with the way Alice was making it sound. Her use of the word itinerary earlier made me nervous. I sighed into the spray of water. This vacation was supposed to be relaxing me not stressing me out. I stayed in the shower an extra ten minutes after I had finished and relaxed enough to call it good.

After towel drying my hair I didn't feel like taking the time to blow-dry it so I threw it up into a messy bun and made my way into my room to get dressed. I looked at the clock wondering if it was too early for pajamas. I thought about it and decided I didn't care. This was my vacation too and if I wanted my PJ's then I was going to have them.

After searching through the clothes I had packed I pulled on a pair of light blue boxers Alice had let my buy under the condition that I have them rolled at the top at least twice at all times. I sighed and started rolling. I wasn't going to back out of our deal. Plus, the more I rolled the better they started looking on me and with Edward staying in the same house I needed all the help I could get. I pulled on one of the wife beaters I had brought as well. Alice had approved of this pajama combination and the white and blue colors were a classic match that would work for her too. I wanted to pat myself on the back a little.

Out of nowhere I started laughing at myself. I remembered when Alice and I had first started hanging out and she swore that she would take me under her wing and I had laughed at her then. Now looking in the mirror I was just laughing at how right she was. There were only a handful of times since Alice and I had really become good friends that I let myself wear something I knew she would punish me for. High school was full of hoodies and ill-fitting jeans. Now life was filled with cashmere and tight-fitting jeans. It seemed like we had been friends forever rather than years. I was so glad to have found her though. She was definitely a bright spot in my usually dull life.

As much as I liked reminiscing I couldn't stop myself from looking over to my bag on the floor. I could just hear those manuscripts mocking me, nagging me. I huffed a sigh and grabbed the bag and threw it onto the bed. I unzipped the bag and glared down at the stack of booklets on the left side. I loved my job, there was no question about it, but sometimes I hated it. I missed the days where I could just read because I wanted to not because I had to. The good part was that I got to dabble in all the genres though and I was finding I was pleasantly surprised on occasion.

I scanned over the titles. Peanut butter fingerprints, clearly a food murder mystery no doubt. I tossed it aside. Sometimes they were good but I wasn't in the mood right now. The Gentleman's Game, yea that didn't sound like something I wanted to read at the moment either. The Princess and the iPod, that one I nearly threw. Who the hell was coming up with these titles? Horizontal Negotiations, now that one sounded interesting enough. I let the paper flip through my fingers quickly stopping on a few different pages. This was piquing my interest, it seemed like a romantic thriller, I thought I could handle that. I put the rejects back into the bag and dropped it back onto its place on the floor.

Before I settled in for the night I decided to grab a beer…or two. I hoped Alice had come back from the store with it. I desperately needed just a little bit of alcohol to let me really relax. I thought for a second about how wrong that seemed and then looked back to the large manuscript laying on my bed. It wasn't so wrong anymore.

I peeked out into the hallway and noted that all the lights were off. I hadn't realized how dark it had become then I looked back into my bedroom at the wall of windows and noted it was nearly black behind the glass. I could only see faint shimmers on the lake cast by the moon. I decided it was safe to leave the confines of the room before making my way towards the kitchen.

**EPOV**

Bella had been in her room an awfully long time. I was really wishing she had come out. When I suggested showers and relaxing I hadn't meant we should go to sleep I just meant we should sit back and enjoy the night. Maybe I could have popped some popcorn and we could have watched a movie or maybe even played some pool or a different game downstairs. I just wanted to do something small but with her. She must not have gotten it though.

I emptied the bottle in my hand and grudgingly pushed myself off of the couch to retrieve another. I flinched as I pulled open the door of the fridge. It hadn't really occurred to me that I had just been sitting in the dark. Then again not much had occurred to me, I was too busy thinking about hanging out with Bella and more so seeing Bella in that towel earlier. I wasn't really sure how I managed to keep my cool for so long. Then standing there staring into her eyes I knew that I was probably embarrassing myself with how visibly excited I was about the whole situation. I hoped I didn't seem weird practically running out of her bathroom but that was a desperate time for me. I tried to clear the thoughts out of my head. That's all I needed to deal with at the moment.

I went back to looking for another drink. My head was literally in the fridge as I scanned over what we had in stock. A lot of beer but about a dozen different kinds. I thought about just grabbing another Heineken but maybe I wanted something different. It wasn't my favorite beer in the world it was just what was in their when I grabbed one. After Alice and Jasper had come back from the store I had heard a lot of bottles clinking together but I didn't realize they were stocking their own personal liquor store. My eye's darted over to the Yuengling and then I knew I was in heaven. I knew she really liked it, it wasn't her favorite though and it sure as hell was mine. Logically it only made sense that I should be the one to drink it rather than her. My resolve, there was no way I wasn't grabbing at least one for myself.

My hand started to reach for one of the bottles when I thought I heard something or someone more likely. I froze in place hoping nobody would see me. Then it occurred to me I was lit up in the dark kitchen by the refrigerator's light. Damn I had bad timing. I sighed and grabbed another Heineken. Boring, generic Heineken. I was just about to snap the cap off on the counter when the kitchen light flicked on. Had I not just been perusing the contents of the fridge I'm sure I would have been blinded by the light momentarily.

"Don't worry Alice, I didn't take one of your precious Yuengling's." I rolled my eyes and rested the lip of the cap on the edge of the counter. I hit the hand holding the bottle and cap rolled onto the floor somewhere. Eh, I wasn't in the mood to find it at the moment. I would get an earful about being respectful to community space but I was prepared for verbal assaults the whole week, why not start early?

"You aren't even going to try to pick that up?" That wasn't the voice I was expecting. I turned around to see a completely sexy body I wasn't expecting. Bella was standing in front of me in an outfit sent down from heaven or possibly up from hell. Either way I was going to have to thank whoever was responsible for it. My eyes couldn't resist being greedy and took a moment to really enjoy the view.

I had thought Bella's legs looked great before, and they did, but with those barely there shorts my heart started to palpitate. This was way better than even that towel. As my eyes continued to make their way up I noticed the strip of stomach exposed by her tight tank top. I could just see her hip bones sticking out between the top of the shorts and the bottom of the shirt. I felt myself licking my lips and I was too happy to be embarrassed about it. The wife beater she was wearing fit her perfectly like it was made just for her body to hug it in every possible way. Then I came to her chest. I knew it would be more than rude to stare but I was almost certain she wasn't wearing a bra. She couldn't expect any man not to stare when she was in a half see through shirt with no bra. She was clearly asking for somebody to ogle her.

"Alice said this was okay to wear. I'm hoping she was right." She shifted her weight a little and I noticed she seemed a little insecure. But really was she serious? Of course it was alright. It was actually more than alright. I wanted her to wear this for the rest of her life. Finally my eyes pushed themselves up to look into Bella's. Her deep brown eyes were just as delicious as her body so I wasn't complaining.

"I think…I think it's a great look for you actually. Alice usually isn't wrong about her fashion and this just proves it." I made a motion with my hand as I took a sip out of the Heineken. Why didn't I just take the damn Yuengling? This Heineken was far less appealing now that I knew I had options.

"Are the other's back?" Bella moved towards the fridge and opened the door filling the room with even more light. My eyes widened as I saw the brown bottle being withdrawn by her.

"Uh, yea they got back about a half an hour ago. They all seemed pretty tired though so they're already passed out I think." I watched as she copied my motion but her cap didn't come off. I smiled to myself when I could see her face color a bit. "You want some help?"

She sighed but handed over the bottle. I set the green Heineken down and reached for her own bottle. I got a slight thrill from the small task. I was doing something for Bella, something a boyfriend might do. I tried to keep my cool and placed the cap lip on the counter before snapping it off for her. I almost didn't want to let it go as she reached for it. Maybe she wouldn't mind if I took a sip. Of course she would. She barely knew me. She probably didn't want my germs all over her bottle. Reluctantly I let it go as her hand grasped it. She thanked me before raising the bottle to her lips.

"You think you'll be alive long enough to really enjoy that?" I watched as she took a long pull from the bottle. Oh I was jealous of her. Getting to taste that delicious concoction. Meanwhile I was left with my green, how sad.

"Why wouldn't I be?" She asked before wiping at her mouth with the back of her hand. She positioned herself against the island counter and waited for me to answer. I knew I was moving and talking slower than usual but I couldn't seem to get control of myself with Bella standing in front of me in that outfit. My mind was split between beer and a sexy girl. I laughed at how much of a stereotype I had just become.

"You sure you know Alice? The last time I drank one of her beers I almost had to get one surgically removed." I heard her giggle but my eyes flew down to her chest. I wasn't trying to be a perv it just kept happening.

"Well, seeing as this isn't Alice's beer, I think I'll be fine." She took another pull but kept eye contact with me.

"That's your Black and Tan?" I narrowed my eyes at her. Not only had I not taken Bella as a big beer fan I really hadn't pictured her being into a porter mix.

"Yea, I asked Alice to pick it up for me. Why, do you want one?" She raised an eyebrow and moved towards the fridge once more. I didn't even answer but she pulled one out for me and handed it over.

"Thanks, I was actually eyeing this before you came in. I'm glad I didn't take one now that I know they were yours." I laughed before pushing my Heineken towards the sink and replacing it with the newer better beer.

"So you were willing to be physically assaulted with a beer bottle for one of these? Boys and their beer." She laughed before taking another sip. I could see she was already half through with the beer. She was amazing. Not too many girls I had ever met really liked beer and even less were comfortable enough to drink freely. Most of them would take small sips and play with the bottle to keep busy. Bella seemed just fine with polishing one off in a few minutes.

"What can I say? It's good beer." I watched her as she took another drink. There was something completely sexy about it. Drinking beer wasn't usually something that turned me on but something about Bella made everything she did overly sensual to me. I cleared my throat and Bella stopped drinking to look at me. "Did you want to watch a movie or something?"

I was praying she would say yes. I just wanted her to be around me and I didn't figure we'd be able to stand in the kitchen for too much longer. Though I had other plans that didn't involve standing. Well, at least not for Bella. What the fuck was happening to me? I just reverted back to my sixteen year old self. Beer and sex, beer and sex. That was ten years ago, I was more mature than that. I could handle being around an extremely attractive woman now. I had plenty of experience with woman this should be cake, really moist and deliciously sweet cake. I was screwed.

"I actually have a manuscript I want to try to get through." I was pretty sure she saw the dejection on my face. I couldn't hide it though. Something about even thinking Bella and I weren't going to be spending any more time together made my stomach fall. "You can come read it with me?" She sounded uneasy about that and I really should have said no, she obviously didn't really want me there, but my mouth and brain weren't connecting.

"Sure. Let's grab a few more beers and hit the books." Her eyes widened a bit but she nodded slowly and gulped down what was left in her bottle. And now I was grinning like the Cheshire cat.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Sorry it's taken so long for this chapter. I'm really trying to make the story good and the chapters longer so it's just taking a little more time. But it's here now! So read on readers.**

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**BPOV**

Inviting Edward to join me in reading, unbeknownst to me, a very graphic romantic novel hadn't been the plan when I went to retrieve a beer from the fridge. I honestly thought my brain functioned on a different level when I was around him. Or didn't function. I partly blamed his pajamas for fogging my common sense skills. The second I had really seen him in the kitchen I was mesmerized. His dark blue pajama pants hung low on his waist and he made a plain white t-shirt look more amazing than I thought humanly possible. I had laughed a little noticing that our pajamas had almost matched. Maybe Alice had gotten to him too. Who was I kidding? Of course she had, it was Alice.

But now sitting in the bed, I was regretting my inability to exist normally around him and I was definitely starting to curse Alice more. Why did she have to make people look so good? It wasn't fair to the me's in the world. Not that Edward looking so good and having him so close to me was a bad thing but reading these…things wasn't exactly comfortable. I wasn't sure how we were supposed to both read it together so it had started with me reading aloud to Edward. After the word clit had come up for the tenth time though we decided that we should just read it to ourselves.

So now he was situated on the bed right next to me. It was a large bed but small print so I guess he had to be close. His shoulder was pinned to the headboard behind mine. It was more intimate and comfortable than it should have been really. But the feeling of his breath on my neck every once in a while kept me on edge. On more than one occasion I would find myself drifting out of the story and into the intoxicating aroma that was coming off of Edward. The mixture of his sweet breath and the Black and Tan I had given him was as sexy as I imagined something could smell. But more than just his breath was his body. Some unexplainable male scent. I kept going back to trying to put my finger on exactly what it reminded me of and he would keep having to clear his throat and remind me I could turn the page.

I was quickly coming to the conclusion that aside from the awkward sex scenes that popped up very frequently the manuscript wasn't half bad. The story was developing nicely and even with my bed friend distractions I could tell it would probably do well. Granted I hadn't read more than half of it yet. It could end horribly like many I had read before but I was secretly pulling for this one. I would definitely put in a good word once I was finished with it.

I hadn't heard Edward ask me to flip the page in a while and when I looked over I realized he had actually fallen asleep. This was putting me in a weird place. I didn't know the rules for this kind of stuff. Were there rules? I'm pretty sure there were rules, or at least guidelines. Was I supposed to wake him up now or when I was done reading? I tried to think about it from his point of view. If it were me I'd rather sleep now and get woken up later. Then again, I could have just been thinking that to give myself an excuse to keep him in my bed next to me.

I took advantage of the moment and turned slightly to study his features. He was beautiful in such a masculine way. His face was so hard and yet so soft. He had this chiseled jaw that was just starting to look a little scruffy. The stubble outlined his lightly pink lips perfectly and they looked so kissably soft. That's when I noticed the small smile that was there. Now I really couldn't wake him up. Not when he looked so happy and peaceful. I shrugged it off and decided to go back to concentrating on reading the manuscript. I'd wake him up when I was ready to go to sleep myself.

I had only closed my eyes for a moment but when I opened them I realized it was morning. I didn't think I had fallen asleep but started taking in my surroundings. Light was pouring in from the large windows. I was now very thankful that the sun never shined directly into the room or I surely would be blinded by the brightness. I blinked my eyes a few times to try to push the sleepy haze away. When I tried to stretch out my limbs and wake them up as well that was when I suddenly felt restrained. That's when I felt him. Edward.

I turned my head slowly to make sure I wasn't dreaming this but there was no doubt about it. The sound of his breathing filled my head and his strong arm wrapped around my waist was keeping me pinned down and flat against his chest. It felt nice, I wasn't going to lie to myself. His hand was dipped into the bottom of my tank top and it was doing amazing things. But this wasn't the time to be enjoying it. He probably didn't even know he was doing it. Against my better judgment I decided I had to wake him up.

"Edward?" I spoke quietly hoping he was a light sleeper. I didn't want this to be awkward with me screaming him awake or having to get physical. He stirred a little bit and pulled me slightly closer only making it harder for me and apparently him too. I was now painfully aware of a certain part of Edward that actually was awake. That towel hadn't done him justice I thought before I could get back to the task at hand.

"Edward, wake up." I knew that wasn't any louder than before but I was too scared of him actually waking up now. Again he started to move around slightly though. I thought maybe this time he actually was waking up because he groaned a little and his hand started to pull away. I sighed with relief until it slid under my tank top and right back up but this time cupping my bare breast. Not how I had planned on waking myself up fully. Coffee was usually fine.

"Edward!" I croaked out trying to concentrate on my task rather than his amazingly soft hand. It wasn't right that a sleeping man groping me could feel so good. This time he seemed to actually respond though.

"Mm yea, wha?" His groggy gravely voice vibrated through his chest and I could feel it on my back. That was it, I knew he was just trying to torture me at that point. This was my punishment for not waking him up last night. I could only blame myself for the delicious torment I was experiencing.

"Edward, you're um…you're molesting me." That got him. I felt his head shoot up next to me followed by his hand being pulled quickly from under my shirt. "Thanks." I pushed myself up and tried to look anywhere but at him. I couldn't stand it too long though. I had to take a peak. It was worth it too. His already messy hair now looked completely adorable. His left half was completely flattened while the right seemed to be sticking out even more crazily. I resisted the urge to laugh at him and even more the urge to run my fingers through those precious locks of unruly bronze hair.

"Bella, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to, uh, molest you." For once his cheeks were the ones being graced by the pink color. It looked completely perfect on him though with his bed head and tired yet still piercing green eyes. It wasn't fair that he got to look that good in the morning when I was positive I was just a complete mess. "What time is it?" He pulled a hand down his face and took a loud, deep breath.

"Almost eight-thirty." I peeked over my shoulder to check the clock to make sure I was right. I was. He took one more noticeable breath before pushing himself out of the bed. I found myself staring again and I couldn't help it. I watched his arms flex and tighten the material of his t-shirt on his biceps. Then if that wasn't enough, once he was out of the bed he stretched his arms above his head pulling the shirt up with it giving me a clear view of his lower stomach. My eyes followed the small trail of hair that moved south and tucked into his pants.

"I think Alice wanted us ready to go by nine-thirty so I'm just going to go." I looked up to see him rubbing the back of his neck. He looked uncomfortable and it was making me feel uncomfortable too. Maybe he noticed I was doing my own molesting with my eyes. I immediately felt like a pervert. Sure I had already been feeling slightly weird but at that point it was actually painful sitting there. "Right, I'll see you in a little while then."

I didn't watch him walk out the door I just heard the latch click as he opened and shut it. I couldn't say the morning hadn't started out wonderfully because if I was being honest waking up with Edward in my bed wrapped around me felt completely amazing. Edward had felt more than amazing he felt perfect. He felt like he was designed to spoon me. In spite of this, the actual being awake part of my morning was putting a damper on things.

I pushed myself out of bed and into the bathroom. I went to start the shower when I realized I hadn't actually been paying attention when Edward showed me how to turn it on. Great. It took about five minutes for me to finally figure it out before I dragged myself into the stream of water. My mind wandered as I thought about Alice's itinerary. What did she have planned for today? I should have asked her before so I could have figured out what to wear.

I stepped out of the shower and wrapped myself in a towel and threw another around my head. I mentally went through the clothes I had packed. Shorts and a tank top would probably be safe. I considered throwing on a bathing suit underneath my clothes.

"Morning Bella." I jumped as I heard the voice once I had stepped into my bedroom. Alice was perched on my bed with her legs crossed in front of her. She always looked too cute for her own good. And that constantly chipper mood, she was definitely a unique character. I looked her over quickly taking in her tiny white shorts and pale yellow spaghetti strap tank top. I could even see some bikini strings hanging out around her neck. This made me smile. I had done a decent job picking something out in my head apparently. Maybe Alice really was having a good effect on me. Soon I wouldn't need her to approve everything.

"Morning to you too Alice. So, what's the plan for today? You come to help me get dressed again?" I laughed as I pulled my bag off of the floor and started pushing clothes around in search of something to wear. Shorts and a tank top that's all I needed. Easy.

"You know I wasn't going to let you outside in your usual summer wear. Of course I brought you an outfit for the day." Alice scooted to the side of the bed slightly revealing a small stack of clothing. The scary part was lying right on top. A tiny string bikini that I could already tell was going to be way to revealing for me. I was a one piece kind of girl and I didn't think I was ready to jump into the deep end of the two pieces. I needed to ease into it a little bit.

"Alice, I don't think I can wear that. Actually, I know I can't wear that. Maybe we could just start with a more Bella-friendly bathing suit?" I looked at her hopefully. I knew it was a long shot but once in a while, once in a very long while, she would take pity on me and ease up a bit. I didn't think today was that day but it couldn't hurt to try.

"Trust me Bella, it's not as bad as it looks. I think you'll like it if you just give it a chance. Now go give it a chance and I'll be here waiting to appraise my work." She gave me a big toothy smile and then shoed me back to the bathroom with her hands. I wanted to glare at her but she had some kind of power over me that I could never really say no to her and I could never really be mad at her for trying to help. Even if she was incredibly pushy, overbearing and a tad bit annoying. But hey, that was Alice in a nutshell.

I shuffled back into the bathroom and took a minute to psych myself up. I just kept repeating in my head a little mantra I had adopted since meeting Alice. She's just trying to help you out. I said it about a dozen times before finally just swallowing down my pride and giving in, again. It took a minute for me to understand all the strings I had in my hand and get them all sorted out. I was surprised at how uncomplicated the bathing suit was once I actually had it on.

Looking in the mirror I took a deep breath. Shit. Alice was right. Now I would have to tell her that too. I always tried to play it down a little bit so she didn't get a big head but she truly was a fashion genius. She had a knack for understanding all the tones that went together and all the cuts that would work best for every individual person. She was, without a doubt, a fashion Einstein. She even had the hair, even if it was darker and shorter she kind of had the prettier female Einstein fro.

"Hurry up! We have a schedule to keep today!" Alice was yelling at me through the door. I had to add that to the list, she was impatient as hell. I pulled at the material covering a tiny portion of my skin and then forced myself to open the door. Alice of course looked more smug than anything. One day I just wished she could be wrong. Put me in orange and blue or something and then see the disaster. Then again I didn't really want to look bad, I did have to admit that Alice helped me out a lot by revamping my wardrobe. Still, that smug look…

"Happy?" I raised my arms up slightly and spun quickly. "It looks fine, we can get going." I marched towards my bedroom door ready to get the day over with.

"Wait, you aren't walking out of here in that skimpy thing." Alice grabbed my arm and swung me back towards the bed.

"Skimpy thing? Did you just hear yourself? You are the one that's making me wear this thing!" I fell back onto the bed already exhausted from the day.

"Calm down. It looks amazing. But it's not just something you walk around in. You have to cover it up appropriately. I recommend some small board shorts preferably with little to no pattern if your suit has a pattern. If it doesn't have a pattern like yours then feel free to play around a little bit." Alice eyed me to make sure I was paying attention to her nuggets of fashion wisdom. I felt like I needed a pen and paper for this. Instead I just nodded to let her know I was still listening to her. "Alright, as far as tops go, always go for something that shows the bathing suit strings."

"It's that simple huh?" I took a second to think it over. Nothing seemed overly hard with her bathing suit clothing guidelines. I figured I could handle it in the future now if I ever had to do it by myself.

"It is that simple. Now quick put these on. I'm going to go make sure everybody else looks presentable." Alice threw some more clothes at me then shot me a big smile and a wink before bouncing out of my room in her usual overly hyper way.

The shorts were cute I could work with it. They were white with a deep green Hawaiian floral print. I pulled them on quickly and immediately loved the navy blue suit paired with the dark green. Next I pulled on the light blue sleeveless tee. I was pretty surprised that Alice was letting me cover up so much of my upper half. I had been expecting a spaghetti strap like she had or at the least a wife beater. This looked good though. The strings around my neck peaked out of the collar of the shirt so I wasn't breaking that rule I guess. I felt oddly sporty in the outfit though. I only wished that one day I could actually live up to the outfit. What I would give to actually be able to function on any level in a sport without injuring myself.

I took one last look in the mirror, pulled my hair up into a ponytail and then headed out to try as hard as humanly possible to enjoy the day. I just hoped to God Edward wasn't going to be awkward.

**EPOV**

I bit into my apple and took a seat on the couch. That was the weirdest morning in my life. Perhaps the nicest too though. I only wished I hadn't woken up to Bella telling me I was molesting her. I didn't really know what happened or when I had even fallen asleep. I wondered why she hadn't woken me up and kicked me out of her room. I didn't recall her falling asleep before me. For a short moment I wished that I woke up in her bed because she wanted me there. But then I remembered her hesitation to accept my agreement to come read the book with her. At the time she had asked I knew she was being polite but I couldn't help myself from latching on to every second I could get with her.

Her slight discomfort was completely worth it though. The way she would clear her throat every time she said the words clit or nipple. It was cute how innocent she seemed when she was reading that smut out loud. I wanted her to read that whole book to me but I didn't want to push my luck so I suggested we just read it to ourselves instead. That was the best decision I could have made. It gave me a reason to make contact with her. I jumped onto her bed with her and pushed myself as close to her side as I could.

That must have been why I fell asleep. It was so comfortable and she had been so warm. I remembered how good she smelled and how soothing her soft breathing was to me. Thinking about it I hadn't slept that well for as long as I could remember. She made this peacefulness and calm wash over me whenever I was around her. I suppose that would mean sleeping next to her, even if I wasn't aware of it, would have the same affect.

The only problem with my morning had been me acting like a complete idiot after she had woken me up. I hadn't felt weird about it at all really but it didn't seem like she shared that feeling with me. Her obvious discomfort had made me feel nervous. I would have been more than willing to turn it into a nice morning for the two of us but I definitely didn't want to push my luck with her. The way she was staring at me made me think that I would be doing just that if I didn't make a quick exit.

I didn't want things to be weird for us though. Maybe a shower and a little bit of alone time would calm her down and make her forget about the awkwardness at least a little bit. Maybe I could pull her aside before we all piled into our canoes and smooth things out a little bit. If there were things that needed to be smoothed out still. I crossed my fingers hoping that she would come out and act like nothing ever happened.

"Hey, saw you comin out of Bella's room this morning. Knew you were hittin that." Emmett threw me a wink before grabbing a carton of milk from the fridge and then proceeded to start chugging it down. He amazed me. He could eat and drink his weight everyday and just shrug it off. He didn't work that hard to keep himself in shape just a little bit of weightlifting once in a while. Then it hit me. Sex. He had sex with Rose more than I thought was humanly possible. That must have been his secret. I needed to stop running and start fucking apparently. I started to laugh at that thought when Alice chose to make an entrance.

"What's so funny Eddie?" I rolled my eyes at her nickname. I hated it and she knew it. That must be hardwired into sisters brains though. Some secret chip that gets implanted once they become a sister that teaches them the exact way to get under their siblings skin. Some annoyance code that was awarded to them.

"Alice." I greeted her politely even though she was clearly trying to get some kind of rise out of me. I wasn't ready to ruin the day just yet though so I stuck to my polite ignorance routine. Sometimes it worked to my advantage.

"I think you should go get changed. You can't wear that canoeing." She motioned to my outfit and I took a second to take in what I was wearing. I hadn't actually noticed that I was wearing jeans or even that I had a sweatshirt on. I had been too wrapped up in my thoughts the entire morning that I wasn't even sure how I got to sitting and eating the apple in my hand. I was becoming some kind of crazy un-functioning man and all over a girl I had only met yesterday. "Don't worry Eddie, I have something laid out for you on your bed. You can thank me later."

She roughed up my hair a bit and patted my head like I was some kind of dog. She liked to do that on occasion when she knew it would really get to me. But I wasn't going to give in today. I gave her a smile and without any argument made my way back into my bedroom.

Once I looked at what she had picked for me I wondered temporarily if she too had lost her mind. It was so…simple for her. Too simple. Simple to the point where I was wondering if perhaps something was going on here that should make me suspicious. She'd just left me some hunter green swim trunks and a white tank top. It seemed completely unlike Alice to not try to force me into some banana hammock or something claiming it was the newest thing in Paris at the moment. I wasn't going to argue though. I didn't want to give her any ideas.

I threw on my outfit and felt a little more prepared for a day of canoeing. I grabbed a pair of flip flops and some sunglasses out of my bag along with the bottle of sunscreen I had actually remembered to pack. I had made the mistake of not bringing any the last summer we had all come here and it wasn't one I was ever planning on repeating. Alice's schedule made for skin cancer if you hadn't come prepared. Luckily my lack of preparation mixed well with Alice's over preparation. She had about five extra bottles. However, she had only remembered that fact after I was as red as a tomato. I'm pretty sure she had known all along though. She liked to make me learn from my mistakes.

I moved back into the kitchen and turned the corner to find Bella leaning into the fridge. I didn't need to see her face to know it was her. I had studied those legs and that ass in my thoughts for the last twenty-four hours and there was no way I was wrong. Those tiny board shorts looked great on her too. I took a second to let my eyes drink in every inch of her exposed toned legs.

"See something you like Eddie?" My head snapped up away from Bella towards Alice. Of course she would put me on the spot like that. It didn't help that Bella had also stood up straight and turned to look at me. She looked almost as embarrassed as I felt.

"I was just…oh forget it. Let's just get going." I walked into the living room and slumped into one of the large couches waiting for everyone to gather their things.

"So that was nice of Alice huh?" I looked up to find Bella taking a bite from a bright red apple. I tried not to notice the way her lips slid down the skin when she took a bite or the way her tongue pulled the juice off of her lips each time she pulled the apple away.

"Yes." It was the only word that had formed in my mind at that moment. At that point I was flat out staring at her and she seemed to notice and maybe even enjoy that. She seemed to elaborate her lip licking and it was becoming a much more erotic act than should be possible. I had to start mentally calming myself down. Board shorts don't leave too much room to be excited without being painfully embarrassed.

"Lovebirds, we're leaving!" Emmett's voice boomed into the living room and almost scared me back into a normal state of mind. Nothing was going to take those images of her and that apple out of my head but at least I could stand up now. So, I pushed myself up from the couch and offered Bella my hand. I knew it was a long shot but I really felt like I needed to be touching her somehow. I was surprised when she gave me her own hand. I intertwined our fingers and lightly pulled her in the direction of the doors to the back porch area.

Walking out to the scenic lake holding Bella's hand would have been perfect if not for the four pairs of gawking eyes on our backs. I could feel them burning holes through us with their stares. If I didn't think it would be too immature I would have loved to turn around and stick out my tongue at them. But I resisted the urge. The voice in the back of my head reminded me that I wasn't going to let little annoyances created by them to ruin my day. Especially when I had Bella so close to me.

I focused my attention on the docks in front of us and that's when I saw the two canoes and the two kayaks situated right next to them. At that moment I realized this was about to turn into a race. The calm before the storm was brewing behind me, I could feel it. I took a discrete peak behind us and could already see all of their shifty eyes moving between the boats and each other.

"Bella, we need to run." I whispered only loud enough for Bella to hear I hoped. She looked at me in confusion and I tried to motion towards the watercraft selection ahead of us. Luckily she picked up on my eye motions and her head slowly turned towards the four boats. Without warning she let go of my hand and shot off towards the long wooden dock the boats were tied to. I wasn't going to help if I just kept walking so I took off after her. I turned slightly and saw the other four hot on my trail.

"Bella, get in the canoe!" I yelled to her. She had already managed to reach the end of the dock and was unsteadily trying to pull one of the canoes closer to edge of the dock. She was a lot faster than I had given her credit for. Now it was my turn to prove to her that I could keep up. I put all of my energy into my legs and pushed myself as hard as I could. I was at Bella's side in a matter of seconds.

Jasper and Alice skidded to a stop right behind me and Jasper started pulling in the other canoe. Alice giggled in her odd high pitched way that still managed to sound charming on her.

"This is bullshit! We're not taking those damn kayaks!" Emmett came trudging up the dock with a grumpy looking Rosalie in tow. Even though he was angry and yelling he still managed to come off completely comical. It took everything I had not to laugh in his face.

"Relax Em, it's just for a couple of hours." I shrugged my shoulders and turned to help Bella with the canoe.

"This isn't fair, you two aren't even a couple. You don't need to spend time together." Emmett started moving towards us and I saw the mischievous glint in his eyes. I don't know what happened exactly. I was trying to help Bella into the canoe before Emmett got to us and next thing I know there's a loud splash followed by a screaming Bella.

"You pushed me!" Fuck, what did I just do?

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**Please review, I love getting feedback and ideas! Thanks for reading!**


	8. Chapter 8

**BPOV**

I was just trying to get into the canoe. I had gotten there first and was leaned over the edge and pulling the thing towards the dock so we could get in. Edward had come over and was watching me work. I thought it wouldn't kill him to get down here and help a little but I was more concerned about my safety. If I didn't concentrate on not falling in the water I would be doing just that. I was sure of it.

Then Emmett came marching over in a huff yelling about Edward and I not being a couple. Which was in fact true but that didn't mean we didn't deserve a canoe. I actually decided that would be the only way I would manage to get around the lake. There was no way a kayak and I could function together. There really was no way a canoe and I could function either but at least Edward could help me out this way.

But Edward was being really pushy about getting into this damn canoe. Emmett looked like he was about to come over and pry my fingers off of the small rope holding the boat to the dock so I started working harder at getting a good hold on it and then Edward had his hand on my shoulder and for a split second I thought it felt amazing. But only for a second. The next thing I knew he was putting pressure on said shoulder and I was falling into the water. Not as warm as one would think with how sunny it was outside. Then again it wasn't even ten in the morning yet. But either way I hadn't planned on taking a swim this early in the day and especially not at these temperatures. I popped out of the water as fast as my arms and legs would let me.

"You pushed me!" I couldn't control my volume at that point. I was in shock and didn't really care how horribly idiotic I sounded. I looked up and at first Edward seemed shocked and then I thought for a second I caught him smiling a bit. What a jerk. "Get me out of this water!"

"Swim to the end there's a ladder." Alice pointed towards the end of the dock. Luckily it was only a few feet away from me. She met me at the top of the ladder and extended her hand to help me out. At least she had the common courtesy to care at least a little bit. "Here take my towel for right now."

She pulled a towel out of her beach bag that was slung over her shoulder and helped me wrap it around myself. Now that I was out of the water I felt even colder. I shot a glare at Edward and he definitely didn't look sorry in the least bit. He just stared at me with that stupid, sexy crooked grin. I hated myself for finding it attractive at the current moment but it was unstoppable. Maybe he knew that too because he met my eyes and flashed me an even more brilliant smile. Jerk.

"Edward maybe you should try helping her into the boat instead of the water this time. We have to get going though or we'll be pushing lunch back and then the volleyball game and so on. So chop chop get in your boats people." Alice clapped her hands at us until we started moving to get into the canoes and kayaks. Emmett decided not to push the kayak thing anymore and I figured he had the common sense not to try to piss me off right now.

"Just so you know, I'm not talking to you. You can help me into the canoe and then you can just leave me alone." I turned my face away from Edward and then waited at the edge of the dock for his help. I wasn't stupid I knew I would need him but that was it. I told myself that I had to be strong here. He just pushed me into the water after all.

"Alright." He did seem a little sad. I wanted to look over at him to see if I had judged his tone right but then I reminded myself I had to be strong. He had no reason to be the sad one here, I was the only one who got to be emotional right now.

Edward leaned down and pulled the canoe right up to the dock and kept it in place while he held one hand out to help me in. I stepped in gingerly and tried like hell to keep myself steady and the boat upright. Once I got sat down and situated Edward let himself glide into the seat behind me. I cursed him in my head for being so graceful.

It became awkwardly silent as the other four started pulling away from us and starting their journey across the lake. I wasn't going to cave though. He hadn't even said he was sorry to me.

"Here's your paddle Bella." I felt the handle tap the side of my arm and reached out from under the towel to grab it. Hopefully he didn't expect me to do too much work here. "I'll paddle, you can just hang out up there."

"Okay." I rested the paddle on my lap and relaxed as we started moving away from the shore. With the others ahead of us now it became quite peaceful. I could just barely hear Emmett's booming laughter and instead the air was filled with the soothing sound of the paddle plunging into the water on either side of the canoe.

I had to admit this was much nicer than I had been expecting. Edward had kept quiet making it a lot easier for me to hold up my side of my arrangement. The lake was beautiful though and made the time drift by. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the walls of rock that boxed in parts of the lake and the forest that seemed to have separated just for this particular body of water. The lake had forked about a quarter mile back due to a thin strip of land covered in rocks and trees that stretched beyond my sight. The tall pine trees that lined the edges of the land made small areas of shadow that kept the heat of the sun from being too much.

I had shed the towel about twenty minutes into the ride and let the sun do the rest of the drying. I prayed that I might be able to pull some color into my skin. I had grown fond of my slightly pale complexion throughout my life but it was always nice when I managed to get somewhat of a tan. I figured with us having been slowly rowing down what was now almost turning into a river for the last hour and not heading back yet I might be in good shape.

"I'm not sorry Bella." That pulled me out of my joyous relaxation. I almost jumped at the sound when it broke through the peacefulness of the wilderness. Then I registered what he had said to me. What did he mean he wasn't sorry?

"You're not sorry?" I wanted to sound harsh but my voice came out small and almost pleading for him to continue to talk to me. I was so pathetic. Especially if he really was telling me he wasn't sorry. I needed to sound angry at him not desperate for him.

"No. Well, I mean at first I was. But, can you keep a secret?" I could feel him leaning forward on his wooden seat and I couldn't stop myself from leaning back slightly. I turned my head to the side and nodded so he could see it. "I didn't mean to push you. When I saw you in that water though, you looked too good for me to be sorry for doing that to you."

He was just trying to get me to talk to him again I told myself. There was no way Edward was flat out telling me how good I looked wet. Then again he did seem like the type of guy who could surprise me and say something like that. He had been hinting about it a lot I guess and did seem to be doing his fair share of staring at me.

The funny thing was I wasn't actually mad at him anymore. If I had still been mad I wouldn't be now anyways though. It would be impossible given the calmness of our smooth boat ride and him admitting to me he thought I looked good. Just thinking about him saying it made my heart jump. His simple words were creating a hurricane in my stomach as well.

"What?" It was the only word I could will out of my mouth as I tried to turn myself to look at him. I didn't want to end up in the water again so I slowly slid one knee over the wooden seat followed by the other until we were facing each other. I tried to hold still a moment waiting for the canoe to stop bobbing from side to side from my movements.

"I said you looked really good. I mean, you look really good all the time but you being all wet was an added bonus." He stopped talking and clenched his eyes shut. It was actually quite an adorable look for him. It made me smile a little when it dawned on me that he was a little bit nervous talking to me at the moment.

"Well, thank you?" Was I suppose to be thanking him for knocking me into the water just because he thought I looked really good wet?

"I'm sorry, I don't know why I just told you that." He opened one eye making his face squish in a somehow completely sexy way. How could a squishy face be sexy? It wasn't until that moment that I really looked at his face. I hadn't noticed the smooth shave and his unstyled hair. I had in the last twenty-six hours grown attached to his lightly gelled and styled mess of hair. But his fluffy natural hair was just as good looking. My fingers were twitching wanting to reach out and touch him, to feel the softness run between them. "Is it okay that I said that? I know you just broke up with your boyfriend but I can't help myself around you Bella. You make me want to tell you everything."

His words floating into my mind were amazing. It wasn't anything overly romantic but there was something so refreshing about him just telling me what was on his mind. I hadn't really thought of Jake too much since the other day. I wasn't really surprised though. I hadn't felt like I lost much more than a roommate. When Jake and I first became a couple he tried to be sweet like Edward seemed to be, but that quickly faded once things in our physical relationship started to pick up. He quickly became slightly crude in his attempts to flirt rather than seductive and sweet.

This thing with Edward though, even if it was extremely new, had me feeling like a teenager. It was exciting and fun but most of all it felt addicting. Since he first spoke to me I had found myself craving him more and more. I felt a harsh want maybe even a need to just listen to his voice, look at his beautiful face or even just feel his presence. Every time he wasn't around me I found myself holding my breath waiting for him. I yearned for him beyond anything reasonable. This was crazy but for once in my life I felt like I wanted to let myself fall into a whirlwind of craziness.

I drifted back to Edwards question. Was this alright? Was there some sort of protocol after breaking up with a long term partner that required me to wait to do anything else. I didn't want Edward to be some rebound.

Was he a rebound? I found myself questioning him at that moment. Not Edward himself but my own thoughts about him. It scared me to think that maybe I liked the attention he gave me rather than Edward himself.

"Bella?" I looked up to find Edward leaning towards me only inches away from me. I wasn't sure how to answer him. I had only just now started to think about everything that was actually happening here. I had only just now realized that I had just gotten out of my relationship with Jacob. It had been a day not the month that it felt like it had been. "Just stop thinking so hard and tell me it's okay."

Edwards eyes seemed to tear through my thoughts straight into my soul. Then he closed the gap that he had left when I felt my head nodding. His lips touched mine in a painfully slow way. But once they were fully on mine the pain completely evaporated. His lips were softer than I could ever imagine. They moved so confidently against my own but were still so soft and loving.

The moment his lips had touched mine I knew I had made up my mind. This was okay, this was more than okay. Rules or not, rebound or not, Edward was what I wanted. For once I was going to get what I wanted too. I finally let go of all of the thoughts floating around in my head and let myself fall into the rabbit hole.

**EPOV**

I couldn't stop myself. Her lips looked like perfection and when she let her tongue slip out slightly to moisten them I knew I wouldn't be able to stop. I moved the rest of the distance and pressed my lips to hers. I moved slowly giving her the chance to pull back and when she didn't I dove right into that kiss. She hadn't seemed to respond to me though and I started to get nervous. Maybe she didn't want this as much as I did. My concerns were quickly removed though when her hands flew up to pull my face harder into her own.

This kiss had started out slow and soft but once Bella put herself into it I felt it turn into a passionate fire that burned my lips in the most incredible way. I hadn't expected her to be so aggressive but I loved it. Her fingers slipped into my hair and tugged on it softly. While they worked their magic she let her mouth do the same. Her lips parted slightly and I felt the tip of her tongue trace my bottom lip in a torturously slow manner.

"GROSS!" Our heads snapped up at the same time to see Emmett and Rosalie's kayaks turned in our direction. I moved back into my seat and Bella turned quickly in hers. It would have been fine had she not tried to situate herself. That's when I felt the canoe bobbing too far to the right and before I could correct it we were heading into the water. When our heads broke the surface I could only hear Emmett's raucous laughter.

"Bella, are you okay?" I swam the short distance between us and saw her shaking. I wasn't sure what was wrong. I started to mentally panic thinking something was wrong until she turned and showed the smile on her face. She was shaking from laughter. "You're laughing? You wouldn't talk to me before when you fell into the water but you're laughing this time?"

"No I'm laughing because my plan worked." Plan? I looked at her questioningly waiting for her to explain. "I thought it was only fair I got you wet too, don't you?" I laughed a little though I didn't think it was as funny as I think she did. I didn't want to hurt her feelings though so I laughed.

"You sure got me good Bella." I gave her a half smile and swam to the canoe pushing it upright. I could hear Emmett laughing a little ways down the lake. "Emmett, shut up!" I yelled and then just heard that laughter grow louder. I was going to yell again when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I spun around to see Bella pulling herself closer to me. Her body was almost flush against mine. Her lips brushed against my ear as she whispered into it.

"For the record, you look really good when you're wet too." When she pulled back to look at me she was biting her bottom lip and I decided at that moment I had never seen anything as sexy as that in my entire life. Water dripped from her face, pieces of wet hair that weren't contained in her ponytail clung to her cheeks and forehead. I wrapped one of my arms around her waist and used the other to anchor us to the canoe before I leaned in and kissed her again.

I felt like we had already crossed the line there was no need to be timid about it now. Her pressed against me looking so amazing was making it nearly impossible for me to even have coherent thoughts let alone try to control myself. I kissed her hard and loved every second of it. Her tongue slipped out again and I wasn't going to waste time. I opened my mouth and began the battle for dominance with her. I knew the canoe was shielding us from Emmett and Rosalie so I took a chance and pulled her a little closer to me and immediately realized I had made the right choice when I felt Bella snake her legs around my waist. I was happy she was situated slightly higher than where I really wanted her or I was sure I would just be embarrassing the both of us.

I wished this could last forever. Bella was the best kisser I had ever…kissed. Our lips melded together in such a perfect way it amazed me. It pained me to pull away from her when I could finally hear the splash of Emmett's and Rosalie's paddles. I kissed her lips quickly one last time and rested my forehead against hers waiting to catch my breath. I had never felt the need for one individual as much as I did for Bella. I really hoped she felt the same way.

"You think we could keep this between us for a little bit? I don't want Alice bugging me all week." I nodded and hoped she couldn't see the hurt on my face. I understood, I didn't want to hear Alice's crap either but I also wouldn't really mind if I got to do that whenever I wanted to. She must have picked up on the small flinch I had let slip. "I'm not saying we shouldn't do it again though." She gave me a wide toothy grin and leaned in to kiss me one more time before asking me to help her back into the canoe.

I climbed into the boat and then pulled her up as carefully as I could. Once we were situated again I noticed that Bella was opting to face me now rather than away from me. I couldn't have been happier. As good as her ass looked in those tiny board shorts I would much rather see her smiling face. She was completely breathtaking when she was happy and she really seemed happy.

"We're heading back now." Emmett told me when his kayak reached our canoe. I rolled my eyes at him pointing out the obvious as usual. I didn't figure he and Rosalie were just coming back to check on us. "Have a good swim?" He asked mockingly trying to get under my skin but I smiled and nodded.

"Best swim of my life." I grinned and turned back to catch Bella blushing slightly.

"How about it Rose? Want to go for a dip?" Emmett wiggled his eyebrows at Rosalie.

"Yea, you wish monkey man." She giggled and then propelled herself through the water back in the direction of the house. Emmett hollered after her and shoved his own paddle deeply into the water jetting after her.

"Well they are an interesting pair, aren't they?" Bella turned her gaze away from their retreating backs to meet my eyes. She licked her lips and I swore I saw her look down to my lips. I really hoped she did. In fact, had Emmett and Rosalie not still been so close I would have had no problem flipping us into the water again. "I'm sick of being wet."

"Sorry, I won't kiss you like that again then." I winked at her and she laughed that enchanting laugh.

"Somebody thinks very highly of their kissing abilities." Bella rolled her eyes and then I saw her hands move to the bottom of her sleeveless shirt. I prayed to every God I could think of that she was going to do what I thought she was going to do. One of them seemed to answer that prayer. Her fingers tucked beneath the hem of the shirt and started to pull it over her head. I was happy I was already wet and she wouldn't be able to really notice the drool I could feel forming at my lips.

My eyes took in the her smooth stomach and the lines that showed some definition that told me she knew how to take care of herself. My eyes followed her shirt as it slid up her body. Then that maddeningly enticing bikini came into view. It was amazingly small. Her breasts were contained but just barely. I could see where her breasts connected to her torso and how perfectly round they were. They seemed bigger than I had pictured but not oversized. Like everything else Bella, they were perfect.

"Are we going to make it back to the house or am I going to need to put my shirt back on?" I looked up to meet her smug grin and shimmering eyes. Damn it, I needed to stop being so obvious. I grinned back at her though. Two could play this game.

"No, not at all. In fact, I think that's a great idea." I reached down and stripped the heavy wife beater off of my torso. I leaned back and made sure to flex my muscles just a little bit. Then I enjoyed the show. I watched as Bella's gaze devoured me. I never felt as good about myself as I did in that moment. She was drinking me in and that look on her face made me shiver slightly. She looked…hungry. "Oh, should I put my tank top back on? I don't want to make this uncomfortable for you." I smiled widely at her to see her rolling her eyes back.

"Oh just shut up." I laughed a little and then remembered the bottle of sunscreen I had brought. I never fully appreciated the zippered pockets inside the canoe until this moment. Granted I had never actually tipped over before now either. I pulled out the orange bottle and popped it open squirting a small portion into my hand before offering it up to Bella.

It was silent as we worked the white cream over our abdomens. I tried to watch her discretely. It was so sensual the way she slowly rubbed her stomach and chest. I wanted more than anything to be able to do it for her. I could imagine my hands moving firmly but slowly over her smooth skin, over her shoulders and around her neck, between her breasts…

"Edward?" I looked up into her eyes.

"Hmm?" I knew I wasn't going to be able to form actual words. I was still stuck on the sunscreen rubbing.

"Would you get my back for me? I don't want to burn." She handed the bottle back to me and slowly turned in her seat. I laughed as the Lonely Island 'Jizz In My Pants' song popped into my head. I shook it out of my head and opened the cap to the bottle squeezing out a small amount. I rubbed my hands together before lightly pressing them to the top of Bella's shoulders.

I took in the feeling of my hands touching her. It felt so warm and comfortable to be doing this for her. I slid my hands down her back working the sunscreen in slowly. I moved down to her lower back letting my fingers slide down her sides. I stop moving my hands and pressed my thumbs in small circles over the small of her back. I leaned forward and put my lips to her ear.

"You're turn." I let my lips brush against her ear just a little bit. They were craving any kind of contact they could get. She surprised me when she turned her head to the side smiling.

"I thought you'd never ask." She grinned before moving just enough to give me a quick peck. "Now, turn around."

It took a second for us to get situated and then I felt her small hands on my shoulder blades. She seemed almost timid at first but that quickly changed. She began to work my muscles a little harder as she rubbed the lotion in. Every once in a while she would let her nails skim over my skin eliciting small groans that I couldn't keep in.

"I think you're done." Bella whispered into my ear the way I had done to her. I knew she would be the death of me, there was no question about it anymore.


	9. AN

Hey, sorry to all of you that have been reading my story. I've had a lot going on lately and haven't had much of a chance to write and I'm not willing to put up anything that I just threw together. I'd rather give you a quality update that you'll enjoy rather than just a filler. But I am writing again so I'm hoping to have a new chapter up by the end of the weekend. Maybe a Happy 4th of July gift or something. But again I'm really sorry but I am trying.


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N:** Again, so sorry it took so long. It's been pretty hectic for me and like I said I didn't want to give you a bunch of crap I wanted it to actually be a legitimate chapter. Hopefully you all like it. I know it isn't anything super spectacular but I'm hoping it was good enough.

Btw, thank you for the comment **Sanna86**, I was thinking the same thing haha

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**BPOV**

I laid in the plush bed I was calling mine for a week, staring at the ceiling recapping the events after the morning canoe trip. We had made it back to the dock after Emmett and Rosalie and just before Alice and Jasper. I had pulled my shirt back on once we were in sight of the house. Edward, thankfully, opted to leave his off. The whole ride back had been slow torture for me, but I loved every second of it. With each stroke of the paddle his arms would flex along with his abdomen. I was in a daze the entire time. Jacob was in very good shape, actually that was an understatement, but he was always just a little too big, too much muscle started to become a negative. Edward though, was perfect. His muscles were toned in the most delicious way.

Once we had reached the house Edward had asked me to help him put lunch together and of course I agreed to help. It was only some sandwiches but I was happy to pull my weight however I could. We joked and laughed and made small talk and it just seemed effortless and beyond comfortable. I had let myself relax with him and enjoy his company. I loved every second of it.

But now, to say things between Edward and I was slightly awkward was a definite understatement. Not that it was awkward because of Edward and I, no that wasn't the problem. The problem was a certain small pixie type girl and another certain bear like somebody. Together Alice and Emmett were my worst nightmare to the tenth power. I still hardly knew Emmett and he somehow decided that he would start taking it upon himself to be the excruciatingly aggravating older brother I had never wanted. Yet, if I was being honest, I still found him completely lovable, which then really only added to his current annoyingness.

Lunch had started out nice enough. Just a simple picnic on the back lawn. Three blankets had been set out, one for each couple, allowing everyone a little bit of space to enjoy their partners company. Of course Edward being my stand-in other half, we sat together. What was I going to do? Go get my own blanket and sit alone? Or worse, try to hitch up with one of the real couples? No, I thought not. Besides, I truly was enjoying everything Edward had to offer so I sat with him. Apparently, that decision seemed to pique the interest of aforementioned evil people.

Emmett began prodding and joking, pointing out how we were really putting on a good act. Alice didn't know what he was really referring to and gave him a questioning glance that of course opened the floodgates that proceeded to ruin the next thirty minutes of my life. Emmett went on to explain, rather graphically, the kiss Edward and I had shared in the lake. The way Emmett described it he had pretty much found us humping in the water. Cleary not what had happened but I let it go. I wasn't going to let him get to me. That is until the subject of my sex life came up in their little conversation. Alice began to delve into how I could probably use a good humping and that's when I politely excused myself to my room. I definitely didn't want to think about what Edward was probably hearing at this exact moment.

I was now plotting ways to exit this vacation. Maybe Charlie could pretend to have a heart attack. Although that wouldn't work, Alice acted like his second daughter whenever she was around him so no doubt she would push to accompany me to the "hospital". I could fake food poisoning but then I'd be confined to the bathroom with Alice pestering me all week about getting me water or medicine. I didn't need that either. I'd have to plan later apparently. I heard footsteps coming down the hall and stop outside of my door. I wasn't a good fake sleeper so I just waited for the inevitable knock and put on a happy face.

"Bella?" Alice asked through the door after one soft knock.

"Yea, come in, Alice." I pushed myself up from the bed and situated myself on the edge, letting my legs dangle a few inches from the floor. I hadn't realized how high the bed sat from the ground until now.

"We're going to start volleyball now." She was speaking quietly and it immediately tipped me off that she felt bad. But that almost made me feel angry at her. Too many times she would do something or say something that she knew I wouldn't appreciate and then she would feel bad about it and I would be the bitch if I didn't tell her it was okay. She really needed to start controlling herself a little more. She started to smile at me but then she must have noticed my lack of excitement. "Bella, I'm sorry about lunch. I just got carried away. I didn't mean to bring up Jacob. I didn't think you would still be upset about him really."

"Well first of all, it's only been a day Alice, so I think I would be entitled to be upset about it. But no, I'm not upset about you bringing up Jacob, I'm upset about you flaunting my sex life around in front of everybody." It surprised me when for a brief second I really was upset she had brought Jacob up. I had been trying to force him out of my mind since Edward had mentioned him. I didn't miss our relationship in the least, I did miss our friendship though. Even if he sucked as a boyfriend I still could usually count on him as a friend.

"Look Bella, I can honestly tell you nobody here cares about your boring sex with Jacob." She looked serious until I saw a smirk pulling at the corners of her lips. "Except maybe Edward, he might have been interested in trying to hatch a plan to fix your boring bedroom experiences."

"Alice, you are completely ridiculous." I nudged her with my shoulder as I tried miserably to keep my own smirk off of my face.

"Seriously though Bella, you're alright aren't you?" She turned her body more towards me and looked directly into my eyes. I knew she was reading me and making sure I wasn't lying so I figured why bother trying.

"Yea, just kind of confused about some stuff I guess." I fell back on the bed and Alice followed. We sat in silence for a minute while I collected my thoughts. "I just feel bad. I feel like I shouldn't like Edward so much when I literally just broke up with Jacob. It seems wrong."

"It's not wrong though Bella. As much as I don't want to hurt you I am going to say this. Jacob was using you. He didn't love you the way he used to. If your honest with yourself then you'll admit you never loved him period." I opened my mouth to protest but Alice had leaned up onto an elbow and was holding a hand out at me. "Let me finish. You loved him, I don't think I could argue that. You weren't in love with him though. I think it's been over for a long time and you just haven't had the heart to hurt him. But he's fine sweetie. You need to take some time to be selfish for once."

She laid back down and let her words sink in. She was right. I did deserve some time to be selfish and reckless. I had spent my whole life making sure everybody was happy and I made myself unhappy by doing so. This was my time. I deserved this. I deserved Edward.

"You're right Alice. I do deserve some selfishness." I sat up and hopped off the bed and Alice was quickly by my side half squealing that her speech had worked.

"That's right you do. Now go out there and let loose, enjoy your vacation and hell get laid if you can." Again Alice started in on the Edward and I getting busy scenario. She must have picked up on the awkwardness of my smile. "Right no talking about my brother like that. But seriously…" She winked and started pushing me towards the door. I did take her suggestion to heart however. There was no doubt I wanted Edward. So that's when I made my decision. This was it. Bella Swan was getting laid. "After volleyball of course." Alice threw in as we walked out into the hallway. My excitement went down tenfold.

"Great, I can't wait." I rolled my eyes as I let Alice drag me out to the backyard. I wanted to not enjoy myself but as soon as we stepped outside my eyes zeroed in on a certain shirtless bronze haired god. Maybe volleyball could be my thing after all.

"Boys against girls!" Emmett shouted to Alice as we walked past. "That way it's a guaranteed win for me." I was tempted to glare at him but Rosalie had beat me to it.

"You better watch yourself or somebody isn't spending the night in my room." She gave him an evil smirk which he returned with a bright smile. I couldn't help but notice the obvious playful chemistry between them and for an instant I loved them both and wished they were two of my good friends. But then Rosalie spoke again and reminded me why I hadn't thought that before. "I guess we are going to lose though with her on our team." She spoke to Alice completely ignoring me and that's when I put my game face on. I was going to do whatever I could to prove Rosalie wrong.

"Oh quit Rosalie, give her a chance. She'll do perfectly fine I'm sure." Alice spoke up for me and then whispered into my ear. "Please do a good job, I am not going to be able to stay in this house with any of the boys if we lose, and especially not Rose."

"Alright, stop talking let's play!" Once again Emmett's booming voice drowned out everyone else's.

It took me a moment to get into a groove but soon enough I was staying out of the way like a pro. Rosalie didn't really need my help anyways. She was a one woman volleyball team. Alice helped her a little bit but she really didn't need it. She was back and forth, blocking, spiking, diving…she was pretty much doing everything. A fact that I would have felt bad about had it not been for my one Daria moment when I didn't notice the ball was coming to me until it was right next to me. I blamed Edward for looking so good when he played. I decided not to tell Rosalie I missed it because I was ogling our opponent. She gave me a look that sent shivers down my spine, not the good kind, and after that I decided to separate myself from the ball as much as possible.

We were playing the tiebreaking game and we were actually winning. We had one more point to score and the way Rosalie had been serving I felt pretty confident in our chances. Alice was keeping Jasper occupied with a little bit of "teasing" and I had noticed Edward paying more attention to me than the game on more than one occasion. I did my part and locked eyes with him and smiled shyly. It seemed to be working too. I heard Rose hit the ball and Edward was still looking at me. I was trapped in his stare and that's when I realized my plan was backfiring.

"Bella, it's you!" Alice screamed scaring me away from Edwards intensity. I searched the sky frantically for the ball. I imagined I resembled something like a chicken with its head cut off at that point. My feet were moving in opposite directions and I was panicking hardcore. But finally I spotted the ball. Sure enough it was coming straight for me.

"You can do this." I chanted it out loud a few times trying to pump myself up. I needed to hit this ball. I needed to not piss Rosalie off any more than I already had somehow. This was my time to shine. I am the super seductive amazingly talented volleyball player. I could feel it flowing through me.

**EPOV**

"Is this okay? I'm not hurting you am I?" I tried as hard as I could to hold the ice to her nose without inflicting more pain. Bella only mumbled what I took as a no, though the towel and handful of ice cubes that half covered her mouth muffled her response. "If it makes you feel better you won the game. Though I'm not exactly sure how, it all kind of happened pretty fast."

I laughed a little bit, not at her so much as the memory that would forever be embedded in my brain. Bella Swan, the rise and fall of a volleyball legend. She definitely wasn't an athlete, there was no doubt about that now. I had actually gathered that much within the first two minutes of the game when she managed to dive into the pole that was holding the net when she went after a ball that came her way. She was smart enough to stay out of Rosalie's way after that stunt though. I had to give her some points for trying at least.

"So, tell me where you learned to play, I've never seen anything like that in my life." I winked at her and I suspect the towel was the reason she punched my arm rather than shoot back a witty one-liner at me. "Here, let me take a look at that again."

I slowly pulled the ice away and set it on the couch next to her. Thankfully it only looked a little bit red, not too swollen and definitely no sign of a break. I let my thumbs brush against it lightly and put some slight pressure on the sides of the bridge of her nose. She didn't seem to be wincing or indicating much pain at all, that was a good sign.

"Well doc, what's your prognosis?" She looked up to me and I pursed my lips.

"I don't really know how to tell you this Bella. I think…I think you may have a perfectly fine nose. We can fix this of course with a few more games of volleyball. But for now, let's just leave it alone." She smiled at me and laughed a little before the pain must have caught up to her facial movements. "Honestly, I think it's just going to be a little bit sore. No bruises though and it shouldn't be so red in a couple of hours." I took the opportunity to brush my fingers along it lightly once more. I couldn't stop myself from touching her.

"It already feels great." She closed her eyes and seemed to lean into my touch slightly. Enough for me to get excited at the prospect of her enjoying me as much as I was her. I focused my attention on her lips. They looked like they were begging to be kissed and I desperately wanted to give them what they wanted. I watched as Bella opened her eyes slowly and smiled slightly at me. "Alice already knows, you might as well do it."

I didn't need to be told twice. I leaned into her and kissed her as softly as I could, still aware of her injury. I didn't want to cause her any pain and I probably shouldn't have been kissing her at all but this was like heaven. How could I keep myself away from this, away from her?

"You are going to be the death of me Bella." I stood up from my spot on the coffee table in front of her and took a seat next to her on the couch instead. I tried to be smooth and raised my arm up slowly. Bella seemed to notice what I was trying to do so she pulled her legs up onto the couch next to her and leaned into my side. Like I said before, heaven.

"Well I sure hope not Edward. I'm enjoying your company far too much." I didn't know how to respond to that without sounding like a mushy teenage girl. I loved this feeling Bella was stirring up in me. It was like I was alive and awake inside. I was aware of every movement she made and every sound she emitted. I imagine Spiderman's spider-sense was a lot like this.

We sat there for at least a half an hour before I could hear somebody coming up behind us. I prayed it wasn't Emmett or Alice, I really didn't want them to ruin this. Then I thought about it more and hoped it wasn't Rosalie either. Well I was pretty much screwed no matter who it was.

"How are you feeling Bella?" I was shocked to hear Rosalie actually sounding…concerned for Bella. She had acted, since the moment she met her, like she hated her and now she was asking how she was doing? Girls just don't make sense.

"She's fine." I could have been nicer. But why should I? She asks one nice question and we were supposed to forget about all of the bitchy comments and rude sneers that came before it?

"I am, thank you for asking Rosalie." Leave it to Bella to be nice to her and make her think it was alright. This was just perpetuating the problem. This was just one of the reasons Rosalie felt she could be a bitch in the first place; because she always got away with it. "Edward is almost as good as a real doctor." She sat up away from me and winked at me. I felt my anger towards Rose disappear in an instance. Damn this girl.

"Well that was really impressive in a completely…unimpressive way." I didn't think that was any kind of compliment but Bella and Rosalie laughed lightly together. They were too weird. I watched Bella as she and Rose made some small talk about the volleyball game. She looked so convincingly happy to be talking to her. Maybe she really was though. Maybe that was the kind of person Bella was. She did seem like she could be the type who was genuinely nice to people who didn't deserve it. Not really a pushover but she probably did bend over backwards for people. There was something to say about that. Something good. Not that I wanted her to obey everyone or anything, she just seemed like a refreshing change from the overly selfish girls I had been seeing as of lately.

Bella had now turned away from me and towards Rosalie who was seated next to her talking animatedly. I'm sure she was still talking about the volleyball game. Any time Rose won anything you had to hear about it for at least four times as long as it took her to actually win it.

"Well you two chat, I'll just be in my room or something." I started to stand. Slower than usual, wishing Bella would grab a hold of my hand and pull me down to her and crash her lips into mine completely ignoring Rosalie who would be fuming about being ignored but yet captivated by the fiery passion Bella and I were emitting…Naturally that didn't happen. Bella turned and gave me a big smile.

"Whatever Edward." Rosalie waved me off and got back to her conversation with Bella. I sighed and pushed myself towards the kitchen throwing the towel of ice cubes into the empty sink. It was too early to start drinking I suspected so instead opted for a bottle of water and an apple. I retired to my bedroom feeling like a complete loser. I was hopelessly infatuated with a girl I just met. It was mostly pathetic if not entirely pathetic. On the bright side when I had been kissing her she was kissing me back. That meant that she liked me at least a little bit.

I reached my room and fell onto my bed and started eating my apple while I mulled over my course of action regarding Bella. She had just gotten out of a long relationship which meant she was probably a little on the fragile side. I needed to take things slow and I needed to make sure to not take advantage of her vulnerability. She wasn't necessarily acting vulnerable but who knows, she could just be really good at hiding it. So my plan became slow and steady wins the race. I wasn't going to be the douche bag who made her do something she regretted because she had a moment of weakness. No matter how much I liked her, I wasn't going to be that guy.

"Eddie!" Without warning Emmett burst into my room. "I forgive you for making us lose. Now let's get down to business." Emmett's grin worried me, it worried me a lot. That grin never came with anything you really wanted to hear or talk about. "You going to give it to Bella or what?" And there it was. He wiggled his eyebrows at me a little as his grin grew bigger.

"I have an idea. How about you get out of my room and I don't mention to Rosalie that girl from the club you were dancing with last week?" I saw it, I had him ready to back down. All you ever had to do was threaten the wrath of Rosalie and it put him in his place. I loved how absolutely whipped he was.

"Whatever, she'd get over it." Damn, leave it to the time I really needed it to work for him to grow a pair. I did suspect that he was just assuming I wouldn't tell her, and really I probably wouldn't, but still, why did he have to pick this moment to call my bluff? "From what Alice said, you got a really good chance at getting this girl." He sat down on the bed and smacked my leg. "Don't blow it Eddie, Bella is hot."

"Well I'm glad her looks have gotten your approval. I didn't want to move any further with her without your go ahead." I figured Emmett wouldn't register the sarcasm dripping from my words so I rolled my eyes to emphasize my point before pushing myself up against my headboard. After I repositioned myself I decided to eat my apple hoping that the chewing would drown out whatever he had to say.

"Look, I'm just sayin' you have a good chance at gettin' her. All you have to do is not be a whiny pussy." He laughed at his supposedly funny words and then got back to whatever point he was trying to make. "She's just gotten back in the game, it's the perfect time to strike."

"Emmett, how does that even sound remotely like the right thing to do?" I loved him, he was pretty much my best friend, but sometimes I didn't get how I ever let myself hang out with him for more than a five minute period. He had no boundaries, no sense of morality it seemed. He was the exact opposite of me, which I suppose is probably why I did like him so much. He wasn't me and I was nothing like him. In an entirely cheesy move I let myself think that we completed each other. Pathetic.

"Right, wrong, nobody cares but you dude! Bella's free, your free, you're both probably super horny…I'm just looking out for your balls bro, they're sick of being blue." He threw me a wink and was smart enough to start making his way out of my room. "You think about it, if she was concerned about just breaking up with that Jake guy she probably wouldn't have come on this vacation and she probably wouldn't have been making out with you already. Plus, didn't you say she was flirting with you before you even found out she had a boyfriend?"

After saying what he wanted he left me alone in my room to go over our…eventful conversation. Just his style, short and sweet. I knew Emmett was always full of shitty advice but for some reason I found myself listening to him.

"If Bella doesn't want me like I want her she would be backing off, wouldn't she? Plus, Em was right, she hadn't mentioned she had a boyfriend while she was exchanging those sexy looks with me when we had gone out to lunch the other day. Maybe that Jacob guy wasn't something to worry about. Maybe she iss ready and has been ready. Maybe I should stop talking to myself…" I scanned the room to make sure nobody had secretly been watching my monologue. "Time to get Bella."


	11. AN2

Alright, I agree, I officially suck as an author, or more so a posting author. BUT the good news is I'm back to writing. I dug up this story that I felt I had dead ended and have a renewed path for it, one that I kind of like. So hopefully you all still want to read it! Trust me, I'm working hard in my spare time to get some stuff onto paper so I can finally start giving you new chapters. I would love to hear any ideas you might like worked into the story though. I have a basic idea but its always nice having something to play off of. Let me know! Thanks for still paying attention to this story too!

-Hutcha


	12. Chapter 10

**A/N: **Thank you all so much for hanging in there! I often wonder how life seems to get so crazy sometimes. But alas, the world will never know. I'm just glad I've started writing this again. It has been a little hard trying to get back into it and remember exactly where I wanted it to go but I think what I have come up with will be a very enjoyable ride. Still, like I've said before, I do love hearing thoughts and ideas. So feel free to chime in if you'd like to see something or have any ideas. I love to hear peoples thoughts. Thanks again for reading!

**Disclaimer: **Again, I own nothing.

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BPOV

"Look, I really am sorry about how I was treating you." Rosalie had apologized about a dozen times by this point. She had come to check on me and ended up staying for a long conversation. It was nice being on a good page with her but I felt a little bad about Edward. He had been so sweet taking care of my nose and then sitting with me. The feeling of being tucked under his arm was indescribable. Then I had gotten caught up in my conversation with Rosalie and he left.

I didn't even realize I was ignoring him until he got up to leave. Honestly, I had just been so excited that Rosalie was actually talking to me. I wanted to keep our chat going as long as possible just hoping I could turn her opinion of me around. I really did think it was worth it to let Edward leave us alone for a bit. Granted, as lame as it is, I already missed him. Gaining a fragment of Rosalie's friendship seemed like it was worth missing a short period of Edward's company. It would no doubt be to my advantage in the future having her not hate me.

"I guess I was still holding onto the whole Edward and Tonya thing. I mean, she's my friend and business partner so I kind of had no choice but to be mad at him. Unfortunately you kind of just came into the picture at the wrong time. But I'm glad that it's all out in the open now and we can be friends." She smiled at me and I was momentarily stuck in time staring at her perfect lips and teeth. Definitely wasn't going to be healthy hanging out with her a lot. Not if I wanted to keep my self-esteem at a normal level anyway.

"Right, Edward and Tonya. Guess I didn't hear about that one yet." I wasn't really surprised. Edward was gorgeous, I had no doubt in my mind he probably had a fair share of girls in his black book. I also had just met him, so there was no need for him to have told me already. Still, the thought of him having girlfriends made me slightly nervous. Guys like Edward, guys who are higher than the one to ten scale allows, don't date girls like me. They date supermodels.

My mind started going a mile a minute thinking of all the different girls Edward was with. I had images of him and a tall, skinny, gorgeous blonde walking down the street in their trendy clothes, and designer sunglasses while holding hands, laughing, looking perfect together.

"Well it wasn't anything too serious. They dated a couple of months. I think she liked him more than he liked her." She was making me want to laugh. She somehow was managing to look both disinterested in the topic but also as if she was straining to remember the details of their relationship. Hopefully there weren't too many details if they had only dated a few months. "It's just weird how it works out. I mean, he had originally invited her to come with him on this vacation. Obviously that didn't happen."

…She better not be blonde.

"We don't have to talk about this anymore. In fact, I think you should tell me more about this Jacob guy, he sounds interesting to say the least. Or I guess from what Alice said, uninteresting." The smirk on her face told me that Alice had pretty much described my sex life to the fullest extent with these people.

"What's there to say about him? He's so…frustratingly smooth. I don't know how else to explain it. No matter what he ever did, or didn't do, he always managed to talk his way out of it. In retrospect, he was a genius really." We laughed about it for a second. I was glad she was laughing with me. It was kind of refreshing talking to somebody that didn't already hate him, ahem, Alice.

"Boys are some of the smartest stupid creatures alive. If you knew Emmett better I think you would change your opinion about Jacob. He'd seem like the most well behaved, perfect man in the world." As if on queue Emmett came strolling down the hallway from Edward's bedroom.

"Hey sexy, the baby's all tucked in, want to go take care of business?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her and she rolled her eyes at him in return.

"Case in point." We both burst into laughter and Emmett's eyebrows fell together in confusion. "It's alright baby, we have plenty of time to spend together this week. Why don't you just go find Jasper and see about getting that grill fired up." She patted his arm as he passed by her grumbling something. "What was that Emmy?"

"Nothing, I'm going to go get Jasper." His huge shoulders slumped down as he started making his way to the stairs. As soon as he was out of earshot Rosalie and I began to laugh again.

"Men like Emmett have to be controlled. You have to lead them through life a little bit but stroke their ego while you're doing it. It's the only way to make it work with them." She blew out a breath. I wondered how hard it must have been for her to tame a guy like him. At this point I had nothing but respect for the girl. That was a big job and it seemed almost effortless for her. "Well I'm going to go get changed before our little barbeque."

She pushed herself off of the couch and made her way to her room. I looked down at my own outfit. I was still wearing the clothes I had on from the canoe trip and volleyball. Thinking about it, some fresh clothes sounded amazing. I made my way towards my own bedroom when I saw Edwards door cracked open. I saw him lounging on his bed with a guitar in his hands. I could hear the faint music he was playing and it sounded amazing.

"Edward?" I knocked on his door lightly and his head snapped in my direction. He immediately set the guitar down next to him and jumped up off the bed to swing the door open the rest of the way.

"Hey, good talk with Rose?" He nodded his head towards his room and I took it as an invitation. I walked in and took a seat at the end of his bed. It seemed odd to be in this room. I knew it wasn't his room but I could definitely tell it was the room he used whenever he was here. There were the tiniest personalization's scattered throughout it.

"Actually it was a great talk. I feel like we just got off on the wrong foot. She seems like a completely different person to me now that we've had an actual conversation." He chuckled a little before closing his door most of the way and taking a seat next to me. "She mentioned she was still a little upset about Tonya I guess."

"Right, Tonya." That seemed like all he was going to say about it. He rubbed the back of his neck a little and seemed more than uncomfortable that I had brought it up. I didn't know what to say now though so we just sat in awkward silence. Me scanning the contents of his room, him rubbing his neck and avoiding any eye contact with me.

"So what happened with you two?" I broke the silence finally.

"Me and Rose?" I shook my head and he seemed to understand what I meant. His brow furrowed and he sat quiet for a second before finally answering my question. "She was just not my type. I really only started dating her because she was pushing so much and then Rose was on my back about it so I just broke down and agreed to go out with her. After that it was just kind of like I was trapped in this relationship with this girl I didn't even care about really."

"Why did you date her for so long then?" It seemed too weird to me to not like somebody and then date them for months rather than weeks or days.

"I guess I felt kind of like there wasn't a good way out so it was just easier to go along with everything." Suddenly it dawned on me that his relationship with Tonya was almost paralleling my relationship with Jacob.

"I can understand that. I guess that's kind of what happened with Jake and I. We had actually been friends for a long time and then one day he just decided he liked me more than that. It wasn't too bad at first, he just kept trying to hold my hand and stuff but then he just wouldn't stop pressuring me. Every time we hung out it would just be another opportunity for him to try to talk me into dating him. After a while you just kind of get worn down."

"I guess we both need to find somebody who we actually want to be with then, huh?" I nodded my head as he started to inch towards me. The anticipation for him to kiss me was unreal. My eyes snapped down to his perfect lips as I saw his tongue slip out to moisten them. It was this extremely sexy slow motion kind of thing that I wouldn't mind experiencing every day of my life.

"Bella?" Edward kept moving toward me and my fantasy come to life had just turned into a horror. That voice had not been Edwards and it did not belong in this house on this vacation and especially not with me in this position. The dreamlike slow motion thing was now just a horribly slow car crash. My body wasn't responding to what my brain was trying to tell it to do. My lips parted slightly but no words were going to come out. As if on cue the door rocketed open just as Edwards amazingly soft lips pressed against mine.

EPOV

So to say I felt angry was an understatement. I was practically fuming and the only thing I could do was pace in my room. It had been so perfect. Bella and I were on a common ground and it seemed like maybe we were both thinking the same thing. That we wanted to explore these feelings we were having. She was looking at me with this expression that told me she felt the same way I did about her. That there was something about me she couldn't shake just like there's something about her I can't stop myself from gravitating towards. It was essentially the perfect moment.

Then Jacob showed up. More specifically, then Jacob stormed in. Into my personal space. Like he owned the place. That in its self was enough to make me mad but then the way he talked to Bella. Like she was some stupid kid that needed to be taught a lesson. I was practically about to jump up and leave a dent in his face. And then the worst possible thing happened. Bella got up and pushed Jacob out of my room and into hers closing the door in my face.

Now I'm just pacing. I can hear her crying, him yelling and a lot of movement which I can only assume is Jacob stalking around like a caged animal. I want nothing more than to burst in there. It sounds like she needs me. What kind of person would I be if I just let this go on? That's it, I'm going in there.

"Edward, what do you think you're doing?" My hand had just touched the doorknob when I heard Rosalie's harsh whisper. I rolled my eyes at her and firmed my grip on the handle. "Don't you go in there!" She was stomping over to me and her hushed angry voice made me drop my hand.

"But she needs me." I whispered back to her. Surely she could understand that Bella needed me. Girls liked that knight in shining armor stuff. Swoop in, save the day, become the hero, win the girl. It was practically hardwired into their fantasies.

"What she needs is for you to leave her alone so she can talk to Jacob." She gave me a stern look and I wondered how she had become an expert on Bella so quickly. Up until a few hours ago she hated the girl. Now she was being overprotective of her. Women.

"How did you even know Jacob was here?" The thought floated into my mind. Jacob seemed to have come directly to my room. I didn't hear him until he was screaming at me. Up until this moment I figured he had just barged in. I felt a stab of betrayal all of a sudden. "You let him in?"

"It doesn't matter. He asked to see Bella. So you need to leave them alone so they can talk about what's going on." I'm sure she could read the hurt playing on my face like a damn movie. "Edward, if you want anything to happen with Bella, anything real, you will let her have some closure. I mean for fucks sake Edward, she just broke up with him. Do you think she doesn't have a few things to work out?"

I hated to admit it, god did I hate it, but Rosalie was right. Bella deserved some time to wrap things up with Jacob. That didn't mean I had to like it though. I stalked past her and made my way to the kitchen. I grabbed a beer and settled onto the couch. There was no way I was going to stay in my room and be forced to listen to that stuff. I'm not sure how long I had been sitting there staring at the wall but Alice bounced down next to me and pulled me out of the weird trance I was in.

"Where's Bella? Dinner's ready." Alice looked around the room a little as if Bella was just sitting in plain sight and she hadn't noticed her.

"She's in her room." Alice just nodded and started to stand. " With Jacob." I added in and she slammed herself back down next to me.

"What? Why is she in her room with Jacob?" Her high pitch shrieking in my ear was just an added bonus to my life at the moment. "Why the hell is that dog even here? I can't believe he had the nerve to show his face!"

"Alice, please, stop yelling in my ear." She shot me an apologetic look before turning a glare back towards the hallway leading to Bella's room. "Rose let him in, she said Bella needed to talk to him or something."

"That's just like Rose isn't it? Can't go a day without starting some kind of drama." I almost wanted to defend Rosalie at this point. She had been right after all. If I really did want something with Bella, something good, she needed to make sure she was certain she wanted it too. Not that I thought she didn't, but it's always nice to not have regrets. "Well who is going to go get her then? I don't want to see him."

"I thought you were supposed to be the mature one?" I laughed as she pouted and crossed her arms in front of her chest. She looked like she was twelve again and mad that Mom wouldn't let her wear make-up to school. "I guess I'll go get her."

I left Alice on the couch a little happier now that she didn't have to do any of the hard work. I wished she hadn't been such a baby about it. She was Bella's best friend, if anybody should be breaking up this awkward reunion it should have been her. But instead I found my feet dragging me towards Bella's room. At least it sounded quieter now. I wouldn't have to punch him in the jugular for yelling at her anymore.

"Bella?" I knocked on the door lightly. I waited a second before knocking again. "Bella?" I heard some faint movement and finally the door opened. I'd never seen anything as heartbreaking as Bella's face. Her eyes were swollen and her cheeks and nose were red and splotchy. Of course she managed to still be beautiful, that would be just like her. "Are you okay?"

She nodded her head in response. Somehow it seemed like she didn't really want to talk to me and I felt a little hurt that she couldn't even give me the courtesy of a 'yes'. But before I could get too irritated my eyes noticed the movement to the left where I saw Jacob sitting on her bed. Same angry, stupid expression plastered on his face. I'd never wanted to hit somebody more in my entire life.

"Dinner's ready. Everybody is out back waiting for you." Again she just nodded and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Do you want me to tell them you're not coming? I can just save you some food, or I could bring it to you. Tell me what you want me to do Bella." Really I just wanted to hear her voice more than her answer. I already knew I wouldn't be happy with anything she told me. There was no way she was going to say what I really wanted to hear. She wasn't going to tell me to bring food back to my room and she'd ditch Jacob to have dinner with me.

"Could you just save us some food please?" I wondered momentarily if she could actually see the dagger slipping into my heart when she used the word 'us' or if she just didn't even notice the hurt at all. She didn't look as though she had noticed. She didn't act like it either. "Thank you Edward, we really appreciate it."

"I'm glad I could accommodate the two of you." I blew out a deep breath as I turned my back on her. Was she purposefully trying to treat me like nothing more than a kind host? I didn't want to be rude and walk away from her like that but could she honestly not understand that I was in a hard spot too? My shoulders slumped as I heard the door close behind me.

"Where's Bella?" Alice asked as I stepped out the back slider. I didn't say anything just shook my head and took a seat next to Jasper. I saw the slight glare from Emmett when I chose to sit next to Jasper instead of him but Jasper tended to be a little bit more sensitive to peoples emotions. I really didn't think I could handle Emmett's sense of humor right now.

"So, Jacob's here?" Jasper asked me quietly.

I looked at him and watched him dissect my expression. I raised one eyebrow at him before looking back down at my hands folded in my lap. "Jacob's here."


	13. Chapter 11

**A/N: Whiny bitch in t-minus 3..2..1... Alright, so I really appreciate that there are people out there reading this, makes me feel like I'm actually accomplishing something. But I really wish you guys would give me a little more feedback...or actually any at all. I am finding it extremely hard to gauge my audience. I don't know what parts you guys are liking or not liking, if im missing something, or focusing on something else too much. I just want to know what you guys are thinking. So again, I highly encourage you to give me a piece of your mind after you read this. Also, I could use a setting for a group outing, I'm kind of dry on the idea front at the moment. I am trying not to go the super typical cliche route too so it's taking me some time to think up some good stuff.**

**Alright, so sorry about that little rant. On to the story. Enjoy!**

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BPOV

I wondered if Jacob could hear me screaming into my pillow through the bathroom door. He probably didn't really care. His mind seemed to be set that he was staying here with me. Unfortunately I didn't have it in me to fight with him anymore and I may or may not have folded and just told him he could hang around for a little while. I was regretting that more and more every second.

He had pretty much stormed into Edward's room catching me completely off guard and then had the upper hand right from the start. He was acting ruder than ever and still I felt like maybe it was my fault. What was wrong with me? I let him do this to me every time and yet here I was, again, at his mercy. The only good thing happening at the moment was his decision to take a shower. A very long shower it seemed. It at least gave me some time to think.

Worst of all Edward seemed to hate me right about now. Or at least was not very happy with me. I think not going to dinner maybe put the wrong idea in his head. The last thing I wanted was for him to think Jacob and I were getting back together. Although Jacob seems determined to make that a reality I'm not so sure. In fact I'm positive that's not what I want. But I also don't want to hurt him any more than I already have.

"Bella, what are you doing?" Jacob came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel. I wasn't blind, I could appreciate his bulging muscles. But he was insane if he thought I was shallow enough to take him back just because he was flaunting his body at me. "Seriously, what are you doing?"

"What?" I hadn't noticed I had still been holding the pillow I had been screaming into over my mouth. "Oh, nothing." I fluffed the pillow in my hands a little bit before throwing it back onto the bed by the others. I needed to get serious about this and get straight to the point. "What are you expecting to accomplish by coming here Jacob? I meant it when I said I was done."

"Look Bells," I really hated when he used my dad's nickname for me. It wasn't cute, it was just another reminder of how my dad always took his side because they were practically father and son. Half the time he treated him more like family than he did me. "I just want us to spend some time together. I think it would be good for us."

"There is no us anymore. You ruined that by treating me like a doormat." I stood up from the bed just as Jacob sat down on it. I wasn't going to play his game. I knew how his mind worked. He figured he just had to put the moves on a little and I'd crumble at his feet. Not this time. "I'm enjoying my time here with everyone. I don't want you ruining my vacation because you made a mistake."

"And I don't want to ruin it for you. I just want to be with you. I promise I will be on my best behavior." He pulled out his sad face like it would actually affect me at this point. "Please just let me stay. You'll see, things are going to be different for us now."

I couldn't even finish talking to him. He was not listening to anything I had to say tonight. He was too focused on himself as usual. I sighed and retreated into the bathroom. I locked the door as soon as I heard him moving.

I could have been out of the bathroom and ready for bed in about twenty minutes but thinking about seeing Jacob again made me drag serious ass. After an hour I decided I really couldn't stretch anything else out. I had shaved my legs, taken an extremely long shower, brushed and dried my hair, brushed my teeth, clipped my nails, brushed my teeth a second time and even did a pore strip. Somehow I must have been like bedtime superman though because it all only took me…fifty-three and a half minutes. Pathetic.

I guess now was as good a time as any to get back out there and try to talk Jacob into sleeping on the couch. I walked out and what did I see but Jacob snuggly tucked into my bed. Right in the middle of it. Not even off to the side on the off chance I would actually have decided to stay in the bed with him. I tried for a half a second to wake him up but I could have figured it wouldn't work. I was caught off guard by my stomach yelling at me to feed it though. I hadn't really thought about it but I did skip dinner.

"Fine, take the whole damn bed." I grumbled on my way out. I knew he couldn't hear it but it made me feel a little better saying it anyways. I made my way into the kitchen. And again was surprised to find the house empty aside from Edward. "Everybody asleep already?"

"Yep." That was all he said. He didn't even look at me just nodded his head and gave me a one word answer. I wasn't a complete idiot. I knew he was mad. He had a right to be too I suppose. I'm sure from his point of view Jacob and I could have been getting back together for the last couple of hours.

"What are you making?" I stepped up next to him and watched his fingers move seamlessly between all of the supplies he had gathered in front of him on the counter.

"A sandwich." He turned and stepped back to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of mustard without another word. Okay, so maybe I needed to put a little effort into this.

"Do you think I could maybe make a sandwich with you?" He just shrugged his shoulders and moved over a half a foot for me to get access to his plethora of sandwich goodies. We stood in silence aside from a few crinkling sounds from the different bags in front of us. Finally I just gave up trying to ease into the situation. "Are you mad at me?"

"What?" He stopped all his movement and his eyes were about to burn a hole through the sandwich he just finished making. I knew he heard me so I just waited. Gave him a minute to process it. "No, I'm not mad at you Bella. I'm just…confused."

"What are you confused about?" I continued working on my own sandwich to alleviate some of the tension the silence was providing.

"I'm confused why Jacob is still here. I'm confused why you even let him into your room, why you are talking to him. I'm just confused." He finally looked at me and I saw a very unfamiliar look in his eyes. I realized it was the first time since I met him that he wasn't happy, aside from being frustrated with Rose. That was a different look though. This one was pure confusion and hurt. I could recognize it, I had worn that look many times in my life.

"Jacob is still here because Jacob is Jacob. No really isn't in is vocabulary. I pushed him into my room so he didn't push you through a wall and I talked to him because I'm trying to make sure he understands I'm not his anymore." I watched Edward's tightened jaw relax a tiny bit and his eyes soften. "Edward, I'm not sure what's going on between us but I want to figure it out. I like being around you and Jacob trying to get me back isn't going to change that."

"Well I'm willing to wait. If you need time. I get it. You two dated for a while so I understand you need time. I can do that, leave you alone for a while." Edward just didn't get it. I didn't want alone time I wanted him. It seemed rushed maybe to jump into anything with him but I had already been over everything with Jacob in my head a million times in the last twenty-four hours. He wasn't right for me. Maybe Edward was.

"I don't want to wait. But maybe we could not shove it in Jake's face." He pouted before flashing me that damn sexy crooked smile. Jacob was always safe, I never got swept away with him. Edward, he was making me nervous already. One smile and I felt ready to jump off a cliff if it would get me closer to him. EPOV

I invited Bella into my room to hang out a little before we went to bed. I wasn't really sure what was going to be happening with Jacob still but we had stopped talking about him an hour ago and there was no way I was going to bring him up again. Instead I suggested we read a book. I had loved listening to Bella read last night. It was soothing, that was the only way to describe it. She happily agreed and picked a book off of my shelf.

"What is Silver about?" She looked over the skull and crossbones that decorated the dark cover of the book. My eyes didn't want to tear themselves away from her. I watched every move she made like my life depended on it. Her fingers lightly grazed over the raised portions of the cover.

"It's pretty much Treasure Island but from Long John Silver's perspective. Kind of interesting." She made a face and put it back onto my shelf. I laughed a little as she took more time scanning the contents of my bookshelf this time.

"Sorry, but I'm not in the mood for any treasure hunts. How about you pick something. We'll see if you have some literary potential." She winked at me before bouncing down onto the bed next to me. God she was cute I thought before I picked myself up and walked over to the bookshelf. Hmm, I felt the pressure now. Maybe she really was judging me here.

"Joe College?" I finally pulled a book off the shelf. It felt like it had taken me hours but I was satisfied with my pick. It was hard to go wrong with Tom Perrotta.

"I've actually never heard of it." She reached her hand out and I let her take it from me. She studied the back cover and read over the reviews listed on it. "Hmm, sounds interesting."

"I'm surprised, I'd figured you would know his books." I sank down on the bed next to her and rested my arms behind my head as I waited for her to start.

"I have read a few of his books, thank you very much. I've just never heard of this one. Hopefully it's a little less dark than Little Children though. I'm not in the mood for dark and depressing right now." She let a few pages flip through her fingers as if she was absorbing whatever was in the book in advance.

"Don't worry. This ones a little bit more of a comedy really." I got myself comfortable again and let my eyes close as her words started filling my head.

We moved around on the bed once in a while as she read. Sooner or later we ended up together. Our bodies were like magnets, they just wanted to be close to each other. I didn't mind that. I let my fingers graze Bella's arm lightly, my other hand playing with her hair sprawled across my chest. We were both lying on our backs, Bella's head resting on my chest, my arm behind her shoulders. It was the most comfortable feeling in the world. Like it was our regular nightly activity.

"-so I tried to distract myself by whispering the word "fuck" over and over again, in unison with my footsteps, and thinking about how cool I would be in the leather bomber jacket I was sure I would someday own." God I loved this book especially now that it had Bella saying 'fuck". There was something undeniably sexy about that word coming out of her mouth. I was surprised to see Bella move the bookmark that had already been tucked inside of the book when we started into the center and close the cover. "I think fifty pages is a good start."

"If you say so then I agree." We relaxed into the silence. Bella let the book fall onto the bed next to her before she turned in my arm and rested her chin on my chest. She looked up to me through her beautifully long lashes. "I think I would agree to anything you ever said to me."

"Is that so?" She raised an eyebrow at me and started to smile but I couldn't find any humor in it. I had been completely honest when I said that to her. She had me in some trance I couldn't get out of. Actually I didn't want to get out of it. I loved the way she made me feel when she looked at me like that. Like we belonged like this.

"Bella, you have no idea how much I want to kiss you right now." My eyes kept moving between her slightly parted lips and her deep brown eyes.

"Then do it." She raised herself up and hovered over me. Her lips were only inches away from me and I closed my eyes enjoying how close I felt to her. I waited expecting her to close the gap but didn't feel her lips yet. I opened my eyes and saw she had hers closed too. She must have been waiting for me. I wasn't going to waste any more time. I pushed myself up into her and our lips melded together.

I always figured all of that talk about fireworks was just that, talk. But Bella was starting to turn me into a believer. I understood how amazing and intense just kissing could be in a way I never had before. Every nerve in my body was exploding, I felt like every part of me was tingling. I reached up and tangled my fingers in her hair needing to feel something, to keep myself grounded.

Slowly I felt Bella rolling away from me and before I could be disappointed her hand pulled my hip with her. I tried not to let all of my weight fall on top of her so I tried to keep at least one side of my body on the bed. I did let one leg fall between the two of hers and it liked it there. It liked it there a lot. Apparently she did too.

I thought the kissing was enough to keep me satisfied for life but Bella wanted to show me how wrong I was. I felt her leg start to move up mine. Her foot slowly sliding up to my knee and back down again. And with every move she made her hips would slowly grind against the front of my pants. I finally pulled away from the kiss. "Fuck, Bella."

"It might be moving in that direction." My head shot up and I saw her cheeks burning. Clearly I hadn't misheard her.

"Bella Swan, is that the real you coming out? I'm really hoping it is." I liked Bella when she was forward and flirty. It was fun and sexy and seemed so not like her. I felt like I was getting to experience a part of her that nobody else was allowed to see.

"It might be. We can talk about it later though." She grabbed the sides of my face and pulled me into her. There was no resistance from me. Our lips crashed together and I was back in heaven. I opened my mouth and let my tongue slide across her lips. She let her own tongue slip out to massage mine. As much as I liked that feeling I wanted more. I wanted to learn every part of Bella. I pushed past her and explored her mouth.

I was too busy enjoying her sweet warm mouth to notice her hands sliding under my shirt. She got my attention when her nails scraped down my chest. I pulled back and let out a hiss. She eyed my shirt and I let her tug the shirt up my body and over my head. I stopped to watch her eyes scanning my chest and abs hungrily. I loved the way she looked at me.

"Damn I'm one lucky girl." She laughed before flipping me off of her body and rolling on top of me. "I think you're about to be one lucky boy too." I wanted to come up with something funny or clever to say back to her but the second I felt her fingertips tucking into the waistband of my pants I knew my brain didn't stand a chance. I was helpless, I just laid there watching her move down my body.

"God, you're so sexy Bella." I licked my lips unconsciously as she looked up at me. She was biting her lip and moved her hand to tuck some stray hair behind her ear. My statement was not doing her justice right now. I wanted to tell her she was beautiful, that I found myself imagining a life with her, that I found myself needing a life with her. I wanted to tell her five hundred things in just this one second but I couldn't find any words that I felt expressed just how much I wanted her. More than a physical want. But then it occurred to me how creepy I would sound and I didn't want to sound creepy. I had a feeling if I started to spill my guts the second she was getting ready to go down on me it might get weird.

"Edward?" I blinked a few times to focus my attention back on Bella. I was painfully aware of her hand resting on my thigh, so close to where I really wanted it and so far away. My concentration darted between her hand and her face a few times before I locked eyes with her completely.

"Huh?" Alright, not the most poetic thing to ever come out of my mouth. But I would have to pat myself on the back for at least being able to give some type of response.

"Is this okay?" Bella's head nodded towards her hand and I started to laugh. "What? I'm sorry, we can take it slow." This only caused me to laugh even harder. Suddenly I felt like she thought I was the timid little girl in this situation.

"Bella, are you kidding? This is beyond amazing. You, are beyond amazing." I sat up and pulled her up with me. "I'm perfectly fine with this. But if you want to wait that's alright with me too. We'll go however slow you want." I kissed her softly hopefully expressing just how sincere I was about that.

"Maybe we should wait a little bit. Jacob is right next to us after all." Immediate buzz kill. Any kind of desire I was still harboring in my pants just waved goodbye.


End file.
